Marisela Cristina Gonzales Ginestra

East Oakland in Spring. I love the nature we see while resetting the garden.

Here we go again! Happy to talk to the world about my job since it’s so very niche. I never thought I’d be doing this for work but it’s been such a fun journey. Go give it a like on the other app too and I promise I’ll be back to teach you more! #DenimDesigner #LifeAtLevis #Levis

@fashionscholarshipfund 2012 Gala + @kennethcole 2012 Internship + so many wild filters

POV : Speaking On A Panel For The 2026 Class of Fashion Scholarship Fund Scholars At Levi’s NYC Headquarters Now this was surreal. Even more than attending the gala. This was full circle, closed loop, meant to be kinda stuff. My career started with @fashionscholarshipfund and here I am after 15 years, now designing denim for the world, sharing my story and insights in a room filled with my finishes while also wearing my finish design work. The students had great questions, were engaged, and excited to be in Levi’s New York Showroom. My fellow panelists had their own great stories and perspectives on everything from visual merchandising to sales to operations. Shout out to fellow FSF alum, travel buddy, and friend, Javi, for doing this panel with me. One student asked me what makes Levi’s Pride collection more valid than other rainbow washed product. My answer was about our team and design process and how when you have people of the community that care designing the product you get AUTHENTIC results. The student said that’s the best answer she’s ever gotten from a brand. And when the panel was over a group of Latina scholars came up to us after the panel to connect with Javier and I about our journeys. We talked about how to still be yourself in a corporate environment and battling imposter syndrome. One of the scholars said she’d never heard this convo in the intersections of our culture and the fashion industry. But I’m so glad that we all were there together for me to remind this group that if our parents and abuelos can do what they did, we can do this. More to come on the day job side of my NY trip but I’m so thankful I get this opportunities for the brand and for the scholars. It’s so important to build that affinity with the next gen of creative professionals. #FashionScholarshipFund #FSF #FashionIndustry #LifeAtLevis #Levis

POV : 2026 Fashion Scholarship Fund Gala as a 2012 Alum Returning as an alum was so surreal. When I won this scholarship 2012 it felt huge to me but it wasn’t THIS big. Seeing what FSF has become made me so excited for the current scholars. The doors to the industry were open right in front of them because of their own smarts and hard work. As a gala guest I cheered them on knowing what this foundation means to their individual careers. This scholarship jump started my journey granting me access to an industry that didn’t exist in my hometown. It was a night full of great fashion reflection from industry leaders and a magical moment for our 2026 Chairman’s Award Winner. Was so thankful to be present and excited to see where this reconnection leads! Congrats to @fashionscholarshipfund and all the scholars! #FashionScholarshipFund #FSF #FashionIndustry #FSFScholar #FSFAlum

Yesterday @levistraussco ‘s SOL ERG went for a walk and visited the studio of @wulffvnky . He talked us through his own journey and process, talking about being self taught, trying different mediums and the experiences that have inspired his work. The best part was that in his work several of us found collective memory. Just by looking at different pieces we were reconnected to certain places, moments, and even textures. As a creative and a third culture kid I really connected with his statements around never feeling like enough of any of his identities. “It is Mexican, Guatemalan art because I am”, he said. I have said similar statements in the validation on my own personal and creative journey. I am what I am and I exist the way I do because of it. Esteban’s level of observation and storytelling was inspiring to see. Can’t wait to see what he continues to say through his work. Keep an eye out for our paths to cross again. #TheUniverseIsUniversing Gracias a @omar__luna for coordinating. I love seeing you execute an idea just because you can. You shared something really special with the community yesterday. Thank you, hermano.

Had fun doing a thing. Shout out to @estebhon for the support and making it happen. #LifeAtLevis

Another @latinacoalition brunch in the books! So thankful for this gift of an annual tradition that my mom has established. To be at a table of women on the same journey (along side supportive men) is always so refreshing and grounding. I was walking into work today thinking about the line that @gabzrhere said that made our table tear up and reach for each other’s hands - “Mija, you belong.” Thank you LCSV! Here’s to the year ahead!

More Eureka BTS #lifeatlevis

This year has been a year of crystallizing my denim skill sets with further education. I’m now triple certified with @cotton_works @cottoninc_ , I traveled to Sri Lanka for on site development and saw our factories in action (post about that coming soon), and yesterday I had the opportunity for more education on our @levistraussco home turf. Not many people know that Levi’s has a mini wash and sewing house less than 10 minutes walk away from our HQ - Eureka Innovation Lab. I’ve already spent hours at Eureka with the laundry team developing new finish concepts for the up coming season. But yesterday I was on the cut and sew side of the building diving into our icon, the 501, to better learn construction, details, and what makes this jean so special. After reviewing all the components we went to the sewing room to watch our amazing on site team put together a 501 utilizing various machines. From a single needle, to overlock, chain stitch, fell seams, and the belt loop, and the bar tack machine. Watching every process was fascinating. I’ve been this industry for almost 15 years and a denim designer for 7. I had never seen some of these functions until YESTERDAY. A reminder to stay curious, say yes to learning opportunities, and even if you’re an expert, there’s always more to discover. #LifeAtLevi #LifeAtLevis #Eureka #Denim #DenimDesigner #DenimEducation #SkillSet #AlwaysLearning #GenteHype @levis

To the local supercluster and back. I love you. Happy 11 years @a_ginestra .

The Internet can be an amazing place sometimes. The algorithm kept telling me to interact with @wearedraftedco , an Instagram account highlighting Latinas in sports. Was so cool to see athletes, video producers, coaches and beyond with names like mine coming from families like mine. The last time I played organized sports was for my high school varsity soccer team and I still felt a great connection and sense of pride in the content. At the same time in LinkedIn-land the algorithm brought me a connection, offering me the profile of the COO and Co-Founder of DRAFTED, @jenniferyepezblundell . I shamelessly add fellow Latinas doing awesome stuff on LinkedIn because I know their content will be relatable. To my surprise I got a message not long after adding her saying she’d love to chat. That call was validating, liberating, and ground breaking. I saw the possibilities of the world and was reminded that we are the shapers of our own destiny. Jennifer’s story made me reflect on my own and how important it is for us to be loud and present in every industry. An Instagram follow, plenty of DMs, and a year and change later Jennifer found herself in SF and I invited her to the Plaza for lunch. I opened the lobby door and she yelled INTERNET FRIEND!!! Our lunch convo was career, the universe, moming, the Latino consumer, and beyond. She reminded me that I’m not where I am by accident and after a behind the scene tour of my work declared she’d never look at a pair of jeans the same way again. There’s something so magical about these Latina Internet friends I make. It’s happened multiple times where we finally get on a call to meet and we can just talk and talk. Our lived experiences provide a shared baseline that allows for easy conversation. If you’re one of them, thank you for the connection and affirmation. And to you, Jennifer, thank you for all your kind words, support, and guidance. And for DRAFTED! Our community deserves the spotlight and thank you for providing it like you do. Congrats, Amiga!