Already a trendsetter, 20-year-old Russell Gener now is pursuing his passion of becoming a fashion designer with a new clothing brand—Harrow Numen.
Sharing the sleek and unique designs on TikTok and Instagram, he’s generating thousands of views all while in his final semester at Pierce.
In his senior year at Taft High School, he found his calling in fashion when he created his first clothing brand with friends who shared his vision at the time. However, that vision quickly faded and Gener soon found himself starting a new brand alone.
“Things happened with my first brand that I found myself in a place where I was happier doing it alone. I recently started my new brand: Harrow Numen in June, and so far it’s been doing good in sales and I’m making a profit,” Gener said.
Harrow Numen is his latest creation, a brand that speaks high fashion, architecture, and uniqueness. A designer with multiple talents – all his designs are original from inception, to getting the garments manufactured in Downtown L.A., and promoting his products online.
Gener explained the creative process in which he designs his clothes. This process consists of sketches, fabric selections, and manufacturers. Gener will then go on to promote the finished design on social media apps.
Gener shared his favorite part of his creative process.
“When a design is ready, finding the right fabrics is the most time consuming yet rewarding,” Gener said.
Gener had great success marketing Harrow Numen on TikTok and Instagram. Gener’s latest design, a pair of wax-denim pants with a unique pocket arrangement, has received over 14,000 views on TikTok. Gener’s favorite design, a custom three pocket shirt and a t-shirt labeled “I’D RATHER NOT KNOW,” have also been trending on social media recently.
For Gener, becoming a fashion designer would be his dream job. In the meantime, he is finishing up his final semester at Pierce College and will be pursuing a Bachelors of Science in nursing starting next fall.
“My wife and I don’t sugarcoat anything from him. We’ve told him from the start that he needs to pursue his nursing degree but fully encourage his fashion endeavors,” his father, Apolonio Gener, said. “It’s good to have a backup plan that provides a steady income before he makes it big. He’s really dedicated to his art, he’s a one-man show, he does it all himself and we are really proud of him. The whole family is.”
Both family and friends are at the core of his motivation, constantly seeking their advice and feedback, asking them to be brutally honest on whether a design is good or trash. This type of constructive criticism has helped him evolve and grow as a designer.
Daniel Gonsalez, a friend since the seventh grade, has seen the progression and growth into what is now Harrow Numen.
“It’s been amazing seeing him grow from each new stage, and I can’t wait to see what he develops next,” Gonsalez said. “We have such a great bond that I can be completely honest with him about a design and know he won’t take it the wrong way. His work ethics are incredible.”
Russell Gener said he cares and advocates for ethical manufacturing and his company remaining sustainable.
“I want to make unique clothes that have a high fashion aesthetic but at a reasonable price,” Russell Gener said. “Right now, I’m a small brand, but I want all my clothing to be made in the U.S., because labor and environmental laws in other countries are messed up when it comes to the clothing industry.”
You can follow his journey by checking out his Instagram handle at @harrownumen and @russellgat for more information and product releases.