House of Vision fashion house finds home in Old North neighborhood

The Old North neighborhood in north St. Louis recently welcomed a newcomer to the community—House of Vision, a fashion house that sells the designs of local underground designers.

Patrick Gutierrez, co-manager of House of Vision, or for short HOV, says the fashion house provides a platform for regional designers to get a leg up in the fashion business.

This new addition to north city is owned by the nonprofit  Dream Builders 4 Equity. The organization helps revitalize neighborhoods north of Delmar including, Hyde Park, Lewis Place, and Fountain Park. 

DB4E’s mission is to develop economically sustainable and socially engaged communities. The organization plans to achieve this goal by renovating vacant homes and employing local minority youth and minority-owned contractors to work on projects.

Gutierrez, a former student of DB4E, calls HOV “the commerce side of the organization.” The fashion house is building on DB4E’s mission of community development and creating financial freedom within neighborhoods that are underserved while encouraging entrepreneurship. 

“Adding commercial businesses in the residential neighborhoods that we helped to rebuild pushes the work of the organization that much further,” said Gutierrez. 

HOV features designers including Trap Scholar, Legend Clothing, and Show Me Love, and also local artists Eric Wilson, Brock Seals, and CodeName. Their paintings can be purchased at the boutique as well. 

Daisy Bandz a designer from the Metro-East clothing line Trap Scholar, an acronym for Taking Risk Advantages and Opportunities, says she took a risk and hopped on the opportunity to have her clothes sold on the west side of the Mississippi River.

“It’s about keeping an open mind and putting your best foot forward. Where you start, doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll end,” she said. Her line carries bubble coats, belts, duffle bags, and jogger sets.

Gutierrez says he chose to go into fashion because it’s like his second chance at it. Growing up in the south city  Dutchtown neighborhood he didn’t have much.

“I didn’t have the latest fashion trends, I was forced to work with what I had. Now I can create a lot of the things I didn’t have,” said Gutierrez.

The clothing store also sells their in-house brand called HOV, which Gutierrez describes as a mixture of scholarly and athletic vibes.  

House of Vision isn’t just a store selling merchandise. It’s also a production.

Anyone with a design can go to HOV and have it placed on fabric. During the upcoming “Family Reunion season,” Gutierrez says people want customized t-shirts made.

Sales start at $5 per shirt to have a screen print design added. Prices range up to $40 a shirt depending on the material. Gutierrez said it took him almost a year to learn the craft of screen printing, which has become “like second nature.” 

Before opening, the boutique’s location completed a renovation with the help of the students from DB4E. HOV is open and airy, and merchandise greets you at the door.

The crown molding and the original architecture outside the boutique was saved. Gutierrez says the process took almost two years, including the building purchase and renovation.

“Now that we are open, I have the natural ability to put together pieces that will create a really nice aesthetic,” Gutierrez said.

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.