Meet Sebastian La Rosa | Founder of wizardfc

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sebastian La Rosa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sebastian, what are you inspired by?
I believe that there is a captivating life force within all people. This life force is full of emotions, good and bad, that help me interpret the world. As a habit I surround myself with good energy, and if something doesn’t resonate with my spirit, I stay away from it. The people we choose to spend time on, the content we interact with and consume, the ideas that give us something to smile about or look forward to; these are all beacons of inspiration to me. How can someone live in a world like ours and not be inspired?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My name is Sebastian, I am a 20-year-old college student from Peru, and I launched my futbol inspired streetwear brand ‘wizardfc’ in January of this year. I was 12 years old sitting in class when I first sketched some shirt designs for fun, and I gravitated towards relating these designs with the sport I love so much. I have always sensed the love and passion for the sport from the community here in South Florida, but as I grew older, I also noticed a missing piece, especially in the United States: the lack of soccer representation in streetwear beyond jerseys and official merch. I’ve always enjoyed rocking graphic tees. I see them as a creative way to express yourself through clothing. Something as simple as a color pattern or an intriguing design is enough for a conversation starter. We’ve all seen skateboard brands reform the youth culture with their style. Everybody wears Vans, but not everybody skates. It’s similar with basketball, we have all had a pair of Jordan’s, but not everybody hoops. How is it that the most popular sport in the world struggles to break through lines here? This is the challenge that I am currently facing, and I am loving every moment of it. This journey so far has not been easy, and it is not meant to be easy, but it is a lot of fun to take part in. I do every aspect of the business myself. I design every shirt, jacket, and logo from scratch myself. I write my own blog posts and run all of my social media accounts creating engaging content on a weekly basis. I direct and edit every photoshoot and most times I take the pictures myself and sometimes model myself. I handle the marketing and brand building aspects. I communicate with every customer and so much more. My point is that this is how it should be when you are just starting out. This is the grind that you put up with in the dark so that in five years or so you can take a hands-off approach and let your work thrive in the light with the help of more people. Do what you love and do it well.
For me the most significant value that wizardfc provides is not a business or even a brand, but a community. A team. We are all on the same team with the same objective which is to celebrate the beautiful game of football through strong community bonds. Money is never going to be the objective for me because the people must come first and when the people tell me they love what I’m doing I know I have to keep going. That’s the drive within me. That’s what separates great from good, and as more entrepreneurs look into starting a clothing brand, I like to remind them that you have to be an artist first. You have to love what you do, otherwise you’re on the wrong path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Miami is such an exciting place to visit. The art scene in Miami is any artist’s dream for exploring vibrant street art and new museums or attractions, as well as making great connections. For street art, Wynwood is a no brainer. There is always something new to see from local artists and there are a lot of quality restaurants nearby. I would definitely recommend visiting Miami’s beautiful Design District which is full of designer stores, local food vendors, and live events. There is inspiration all around Miami, and so much to see and learn. If you want to visit some museums, then my favorite ones would be the Frost Museum of Science and the Vizcaya museum. Another great option is spending the day at Bayside Marketplace. From there you can take a boat tour down Biscayne and visit Miami Beach. For nightlife, I like to go to different clubs around Wynwood. My favorite ones are hidden gems that you can only find on accident or through word of mouth. The spontaneous experience makes the night so much better. All of these attractions are relatively close to each other and you can easily do most of them in a few days. My best advice is to dive right into Miami without thinking too much into it. You’ll quickly adapt to the way we do things down here and have a great time doing so. There is so much to see in South Florida in general, but if I had to start someplace for an itinerary in Miami this would be it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to my friends and family who lovingly support my goals and aspirations. Their encouragement and love has been a critical factor in my determination to keep going. My parents have always pushed my siblings and I to explore our dreams and to fuel our passions, they created a healthy family environment that has resulted in rich relationships between all of us. Without the family foundations my parents built, and the work they do every day to ensure that it flourishes, I would not be the person I am today. I am the youngest of four, and I have grown up learning different lifestyles through my parents and older siblings. We are all so different and unique in our own way and at the same time we all carry a piece of each other wherever we go. Thank you Mom, Dad, Ani, Juan, and Daniela for teaching me so much about life. And for my best friends, they know who they are. Our solid support system has lasted over 10 years, that’s half of our lifetime! They see the hard work behind the scenes that I put into making this brand exactly what I envision. Without their help and honesty, I would lack the important guidance and inspiration that I need to continue on my journey. All of my friends are dreamers like I am. We see the future as ours for the taking. Full of life and full of purpose, we will continue to follow our dreams wherever they may take us.

Website: https://wizard-fc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebastianxlarosa/

Other: wizardfc instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wizard.fc/