The Rise of an Empire 03

The Foundation:

Hi, I am Phelipe, founder of Mestre Empire. I have always been captivated by art. When I was a child, I loved to draw and create. I used whatever I could get my hands on to create art. My passion for creation helped me develop a new perspective on life. Shapes and colors were no longer ordinary to me, and everything around me was so much more interesting. Growing up, I started experimenting with different mediums, becoming more involved in graphic and web design which eventually led me to become a front-end developer. No matter what I did, using vector lines or just pure vanilla code, my job always consisted of creating things. So many of my designs get lost on the internet, and I wanted that to change. I became tired of making other people’s dreams come true, so I decided to apply my self-taught skills into my future. I have always been a dreamer. All I needed was a spark of inspiration. On September of 2013, that inspiration came from a beautiful gift given to me, a t-shirt. I was fascinated, not by the t-shirt itself but by the box it came in. That slick packaging design made out of craft paper stirred up a new dream in me. I wanted to create a brand made up of real works of art that would not be forgotten anywhere. It was from that premise that Mestre Empire was then built. Well, at least in my head it was. Since then, it took me months of conceptualization to make the perfect identity, storyline, and direction that I wanted to take with this new fashion brand.

Mestre, not only my family name but also from the late Old English mægister, from Latin magister, and Portuguese source meaning “Master”.

My passion for art led me to create a brand that would focus on inspiring and empowering talented and knowledgeable individuals to become masters of their craft. To that end on January, 8th of 2015, Mestre Empire was officially launched.

The Rise of an Empire – Orlando Museum of Art

Abandoned Empire:

The first year wasn’t easy, especially because there were a lot of people who didn’t support the idea. I relied on good friends and family to help me bring my vision to life. I was so thankful to have these individuals to help and support me in the early stages of the company and looked upon it as motivation to continue building Mestre Empire. Six months into having launched Mestre Empire, however, I ran out of capital needed to keep growing the business. As a result, Mestre Empire discontinued operations with uncertainty as to when it would resume. I, however, was not willing to give up.

Fresh Start:

After nearly eight months of inactivity, on March 2016, a new partnership formed and two good friends join Mestre Empire. Mestre Empire is now evolving and growing before our very own eyes. With three masterminds there is nothing we can’t do. So at least we thought. Things were not moving as fast as we liked. It stopped running entirely. It seemed like we were back to square one. We realized that it takes a lot of time and effort to run a business and among all other things, life is still happening around us. After a few months into this new partnership, a lot of struggles, and certain circumstances, we were down to two and eventually down to just myself again. It was not easy, but it was necessary.

Stronger Walls:

After many disappointment and failed attempts, I am now on my own again and on the search of the correct path to grow Mestre Empire and take Mestre Empire to the next level. Having to rely on no one other than myself, I was forced to take on the extra load, certainly made my drive stronger than ever before.

It did not take long for my luck to change and a new opportunity presents itself. Rafael Garcia offers to expand and grow the brand to Canada. A new alliance is formed. With the extra set of hands which I did not have before, Mestre Empire acquires a new Mestre (Master). As a result, Mestre Empire gains stronger walls and momentum to get back on track and continue moving forward. We are slowly expanding the North American market and we have already gone international and we have our customers and friends to thank for.

Our Vision:

What was once an inspiration has now become a reality. Mestre Empire has now taken off. We are extremely passionate about empowering others in their pursuit of becoming Mestres (Masters) at their craft. Mestre Empire stands for opportunity, and we want to empower change through knowledge. Together we are building an empire diverse in skill and unified in vision. It takes a high spirited person to exude the essence of a Mestre. For us, this endeavor is very simplistic. These are the people we design and create for.

Mestre • [ˈmɛʃtr(ə)]: (late Old English mægister, from Latin magister, and Portuguese source meaning “master”)

An individual who has wisdom and exemplary skill in a specific art or craft, and the ability to inspire others, often referred to as a great artist, expert, leader or king. One who has dominance, control or is in charge of his empire, with great power and authority to command, lead and guide.