I've always been drawn to design. Growing up with an architect father and an attorney mother who renovated homes throughout Los Angeles, my parents welcomed me into design decisions and conversations about proportion, balance, and the transformation of physical spaces. We would buy what my parents called "the worst house in the best neighborhood" and turn it into something beautiful. Those before-and-after moments left a lasting impression on me.

My obsession with fashion design began early as well—my first job was at J.Crew, where my entire paycheck promptly went back to the store. I absorbed everything like a sponge: attended trunk shows, fawned over visual merchandisers doing their thing, and constantly daydreamed about my own fashion future. This early immersion in retail was all-consuming and laid the foundation for what would later become JB Ander.

Design isn't just something I studied—it's something I've lived with my entire life. In the 2010s, I channeled this passion into a men's style blog as a creative outlet alongside my marketing career. And yes, I developed what friends teasingly call a "shoe problem"—though I prefer to think of it as an appreciation for craftsmanship and variety.

When I find something that fascinates me, I dive in completely. I can't just have five pairs of shoes—I want to understand every variation, feel the subtle differences in materials, and appreciate how small design choices create entirely different experiences.