Dandy in the Bronx
Diego Leon, GQ Insider & Menswear Fashion Blogger • Interests: Menswear, Pokemon, Gaming • Live from: Bronx, NYC
“I used to be a teacher, I taught preschool for about 3 years in queens. It wasn't going very well because, basically I wasn't so happy with the system and how education was going; but my Instagram was doing pretty well at the time. My kids wore uniforms and I wanted to keep up with them so I started researching and found out that it was a thing that people do for a living; so, I quit my job. When I got started, I knew that I loved men's fashion, but I wanted to make the backdrop the Bronx. I'm trying to use what I have to not only showcase the Bronx but to show that we're capable of anything. Being from the Bronx is not a deterrent or a block, it only makes you stronger; you learn so much and meet so many amazing people.”
“I've competed in the Pokémon world championship and played professionally for a bit. If I'm not reading up on fashion blog posts then I'm reading about gaming. I'm big into cos play as well; I kinda cheat since I usually cos play as people/characters who wear suits...lol. You know, people have this misconception about Bronxites that you must be from a gang or like know someone in a gang. Like, I do remember when gangs were really big. People would say 'hey! don't wear red' or 'don't wear blue', it was like that at that one point. But, through Dandy in the Bronx, I like to show just how unique and diverse the Bronx is; that you can just be yourself. Like the Bronx has this legacy that I never even knew existed and seeing it from the outside I'm grateful and inspired.”
“There's tons of opportunities to create content in the Bronx. Places like the Andrew Freeman house and the Bronx museum are great place to check out beautiful art work. You can find a lot of inspiration from the very historical places here as well like the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage; It just takes a little bit of research.”
“I like to frequent Mott Haven. There's a lot of cool places to hang and eat, and some nice graffiti as well. Usually, if I'm around Tremont, there's the strip or like Havana cafe for the bottomless sangrias. There's also Arthur avenue; I love Arthur Avenue. I'm surrounded by Latin culture most of the time so it's nice to be able to escape into Little Italy and just soak up Italian and Albanian culture right here in the Bronx. When someone's visiting I usually recommend starting off on Arthur Avenue and then making your way down to Mott Haven and the nearby areas. You also have to go to a chicken spot; that's a must. It's like, alright it's Saturday, it's 3pm, OK...let me get some wings and fries. I would also say go try some Latin food, like Dominican food. Sabrosura shows some of our diversity by combining Latin and Chinese cuisine. If that's not Bronx then I'm not sure what is.”
“And if I had any tips for someone visiting, I would want them to remember that you're still a visitor in the Bronx. The Bronx is definitely welcoming if you treat it with respect but this isn't a side show or a tourist attraction that you can just discard when you're done. Like yes, we have places we want you to check out, this is our home and we want you to enjoy these places, but please be respectful of how the food is prepared and what the neighborhoods look like. I'd say, when you come to the Bronx be open minded, accepting and respectful.”
You can keep up with Diego:
@dandyinthebronx | www.dandyinthebronx.com
