The XVR Interview

Get to know the 19 year old DJ and clothing designer from New York.

My name is Xavier Michael Borrero. I go by XVR for people in the fashion/DJ community and I’m 19 years old. I’m from Woodside, Queens and my ethnic background contains Puerto Rican and Argentine roots. I throw DJ events and make clothing (either 1/1 or limited) for people to cop. My brand XVR goes both into how I DJ and how my clothing is made, making one universal brand.

How did you get into making clothing? When did you start doing it ?

Clothing at first to me wasn’t that important and in the beginning of high school I kind of showed that. I was wearing the regular stuff everyone else was wearing but then I’d say that around 2015 I started to explore fashion and started getting into skate-wear. Supreme 6 Panels and baggy clothing sort of shot off what was my entry to fashion. After that I started to design on clothes and I got into hand painted pieces and spray painted ones like tees and beanies.

So is the reason you only make one piece or a limited amount of a certain piece because it takes lots of time to create them or do you like to have the items limited to make them more valuable and unique for those buying the product?

I personally find them more valuable if they are so limited just because of the story behind it. There are so many brands pushing out the same thing and the value just goes down. When I make clothes I make it for the experience and story of how it was made. Yes! I agree, a brand becomes so much more respected and valuable when there are limited pieces available, so that’s cool that you do that.

Which brands inspire your pieces?

Brands like Bianca Chandon ,Comme des Garçon and Cactus Plant Flea Market sort of bring out these thoughts and “stand out designs”.

What are your goals for the future with your brand?

My goals with the brand in the future are to have it become known as an overall aesthetic where you are comfortable with what you’re wearing but stand out at the same time. I want it to really embrace what it means to connect with the community through music and clothing.

How did you start / get into DJing? Who were some of your influences ?

In middle school I was heavy into electronic music so it made want to get a mixer. My Dad actually surprised me with a Numark one as a gift for Christmas so I was ecstatic as ever to try it. Current DJ’s such as Venus X and Virgil Abloh inspire me a lot to do what I do just because they’ve taken it to such a new level it’s insane. Daft Punk also has a big impact on me just because of their beautiful sounds and very limited sets every blue moon. These people kind of molded my love for the music. Ya all the stuff that Virgil Abloh has been doing recently have been really cool.

Do you make original music?

I have some stuff locked up in my computer ready but I still want to work on them a little bit. I want my stuff to be perfected to the last detail.

So what are your goals for the future with music? Do you want to focus on making original music, and playing shows, etc.?

My goals for this year and the future to come are to be able to throw consistent events that are held at large venues and I hope to be able to produce rap and dance music as well. I want to work with different artists around the city to help accomplish this and connect the bigger puzzle together!

That’s cool! Have you put together any shows in NYC, or have you worked with any artists in NYC yet?

Yeah I have put a few shows on; as a matter of fact I’m doing one on July 3rd called “HeatWave19’” at the VC house venue! It’s going to have performances from other NYC artists I’m cool with. The city allows me to work with so many people so oftentimes I try and communicate with everybody.

How did you get started putting together shows? Did you do it all yourself or have you had help from others in your community?

Honestly it comes from the help of others. For sure I’m the one that gets the events started , it’s just help from those who I work with get the ship flowing. It involves a ton of people from hosts to artists.

Yes I agree! From experience I’ve found that it takes a lot of work and people to put together events.

What advice would you give to kids who want to do something similar to what you're doing such as throwing events, DJing, etc. ?

The only advice I have for them is to just be themselves. You have to invest in yourself 100% and you have to be passionate about it. Life is short and thinking about what you want to do all the time sometimes doesn’t cut it. You have to be in love with who you are and you have to use whatever help you can get! Rockstars do whatever they want to do, so you gotta be a rockstar.

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