Joseph Robert Ruiz is a seasoned apparel designer with experience in luxury and lifestyle brands. Ranging from the finest European tailored clothing to high function sport apparel through to rugged utilitarianism, his range of design sensibility covers the gamut of a wardrobe.

With a strong foundational curriculum from Parsons School of Design, the application of rigorous design principles are carried through to his numerous iterations of mens and women ready to wear apparel development. Having learned the fundamentals of fashion - draping, dressmaking, hand finishing, and illustration, his turn toward mass market apparel design encouraged a more disciplined and solution based approach to garment design. At Ralph Lauren for nearly a decade, his experience spanned from archival documenting of historical inspiration garments to working directly with Mr. Lauren and SVP John Wrajez, designing refined tailored trousers for Purple Label and rugged Roughwear for the Polo line. Working with fellow RL alumni, he then took on a full design & product development conjoined role at the luxury golf brand Greyson - helping to grow the language of the brand’s product assortment. Recently starting his own brand with his partner, he has taken on creating each product with a focus on making sustainably and consciously by learning natural dyeing and hand crafting with Meridian Mercantile.

Experience

Co-Founder Meridian Mercantile, LLC
Brand Development Arturo / Cielo Clothing
Senior Designer Greyson Clothiers

Designer Ralph Lauren

Education

BFA Fashion Design Parsons School of Design

AAS Graphic Design Parsons School of Design