Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics

Designer Estrella Tadeo (second from the right).

It’s a name you’ve probably heard before. Nestled in the Mission neighborhood in San Francisco, Estrella Tadeo and her co-op boutique, The Mission Statement, have been making waves in the fashion scene. And for the third consecutive year, this amazing designer will be dressing the Mr. Hyphen contestants.

Known for her unique style and impeccable tailoring, Tadeo's background in fine arts translates into her designs. Each piece is sculpted and works visually and ergonomically with the body to make sure that it's pleasing to look at from all angles. Tadeo’s style is clean and sophisticated; she doesn’t design for the masses, but aims to create pieces that defy age.

“Clothing is not for mere function, it’s your 'packaging,'" Tadeo says.

In respect of that, Tadeo makes sure that each piece is a work of art and a vehicle for self-expression. Although she labors over each piece like a sculpture, her joy for clothing has not wavered. But her interest in business definitely has.

“The problem is, designing is really interesting to me but handling my own clothing line isn’t,” Tadeo says.

Thankfully, she teamed up with 10 other talented designers, all San Francisco locals, to open up a co-op boutique called The Mission Statement. They collaborate and help each other with all aspects of the store, including retail, marketing and inventory. But with so much talent combined under one roof, Estrella is surprised and grateful that they do not feel competitive with each other.

“Even when there is overlap, we are incredibly respectful of each other’s work,” Estrella said. “Our designs are very much coming from confident and individual perspectives,”

In regard to her own work, Tadeo bears in mind the importance of execution to make her pieces successful.

“The most interesting things can be so simple but executed with such integrity you can’t help but applaud it.”

And applaud we will. With clean, minimal, and timeless designs, this self proclaimed work horse continues to blur the line between basic and extraordinary. We can expect nothing short of amazing outfits on our Mr. Hyphen contestants this year.