Written By Monte Hieke
Spring is here and the Impetus collection of “Arturo Rose” has arrived with shirts, shorts , hats , and more! The 22 year old clothing designer A.R. Mauriella unveils his latest pieces that are inspired by “mental health and living with bipolar disorder , balancing life”, he continues “as a college student and accepting trauma from my childhood that I have to come to terms with as an adult, have been the biggest inspiration for me because my muse can sometimes be myself and what I’ve went through”, the designer who’s been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder continues saying “Sometimes I’ll just sit alone in the dark and dig deep into my childhood and my past and think about things we sometimes put off mentally and emotionally”. Mauriella’s spark of fashion design came after the loss of his father. The young designer took this hard stating he “spent two months in a psych ward after my father died because I was suicidal and I would be strung out on pills and sleeping in bathrooms. In there I found my artistic side and started sketching these visions and perspectives on symbolism and emotions I was feeling and I think that’s what really got me started is because in there , I didn’t have an outlet to express any of that so I was finding ways to depict and convey it through art and rough sketches”. Though coming up with styles wasn’t truly that new to him saying “I’ve been associated with fashion all my life because my mother was a singer and dancer in the 70’s, but I started taking it seriously in the perspective of design after HS , I would say around 2017 so about 3 years ago is when I started sketching shirt and jacket designs and coming up with what is now Arturo Rose”. After the success of the first collection, he hasn’t looked back, while still working hard as a senior in Business Administration program at Campbell University.
Impetus Collection Wear
The designs and symbolism he uses in his clothing are a reflection of the many emotions and faces we put on in our daily lives, though truly what is “Arturo Rose”? What does it mean? The brand name has as much sentimental significance as the designer’s name, stating “I go by A.R. Mauriella professionally , A.R. Mauriella is characteristically who I am still , A.R. for my initials , AR , are my fathers initials , his name is Arturo Rose and he was a BIG inspiration of mine. Mauriella was my uncle and one of two of my dads brothers , he was known for being extremely enthusiastic , artistic , and a fashion powerhouse. He introduced my parents to eachother and my name was supposed to be Mauriella originally. I put A.R. Mauriella together to commemorate me and my fathers legacy while also characterizing who I am as a creative with fashion and Music”. Mauriella also happens to be active in music production as well as managing musical artists Carlito Valentino and GoMrPercfect. A.R. Mauriella, is a man of many hats in and out of fashion, he credits the artist Basquiat as his influence for his artistic expression, “He also has bipolar disorder so the way we interpret things due to our mental health disorder is very similar creatively”. This is evident in his unorthodox style of design, not aiming for a polished look you would find in “upscale” clothing, rather stating true to his style and ideas.
Impetus Collection Wear
The avid clothing consumer would brand Mauriella’s pieces as street wear but he has thoughts on the matter, “Black designers are often put in boxes as creatives with certain stigmas that come with them , such as streetwear, I’d love to do what as many other black designers are doing in trying to change how the world views and digests our work”, he elaborates “It’s also a goal of mine to enter high fashion and become a heritage brand, something that will be timeless and last for generations”. Mauriella has just dished out his hottest pieces to date, and it’s already moving fast, it may be a machine now but he admits “balancing my workload with school and running a business, It can sometimes be an obstacle but I take on obstacles with a full head of steam”, if that wasn’t enough “living with bipolar disorder has been tough growing into a man, an adult, and adapting to life and expectations that are set upon me along with the stigmas that come with bipolar disorder socially“, all in all being “thankful for them” he states. The artist rises above rolling with the punches because “it allows me to not become complacent”. He makes no excuses for himself and continues to navigate accordingly towards his dreams and aspirations head on, despite what he has on his plate! When asked about his motivation with emphasis he answers “I try to take all of this emotion and energy and turn it into the best possible version of myself and impact others positively because that’s what I want to be remembered by , not what I’ve accomplished , but who I’ve influenced and impacted positively”. The Impetus collection is available now down below! Cop you some before it’s all gone!! Check out the link and more below!!
