Hats Off to Edgar Alvarez

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Branded Content Presented by Santa Barbara City College Office of Communications

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When Edgar Alvarez—entrepreneur and owner of Grand Central Fashion—arrived in America in 2015, he spoke little to no English. He felt disconnected from this new country and community he now called home. Moreover, his wife and children were hundreds of miles away in Mexico, and he missed them dearly. “I never thought I was going to leave my entire family, ” he shares. But what kept him going was his promise to them: One day, they could join him, and he would provide them with the life they deserved.

He moved to Santa Barbara, lived in a one-bedroom apartment with four relatives, and worked service jobs while sleeping on the floor. He was exhausted. Sure, he had the faith that it would all work out. But he was still a non-English speaker in a primarily English-speaking country. It didn’t take long for him to realize his limits. “I won’t move further if I don’t communicate, ” he re- calls thinking.

So when his brother told him about a local school—Santa Barbara City College (SBCC)—that offered English classes, he jumped at the opportunity to improve his skills.

He attended school every Monday and Wednesday, taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and within a year, he spoke good English. While attending school, he also worked in the banquet department at the Bacara—a five-star hotel in Santa Barbara. His duties were limited to stacking tables and chairs and rarely conversing. “But I always wanted to interact, ” he shares. “I’m always hoping to learn from other people. ” Because of his SBCC ESL education, he could transfer to a new department at the Bacara, where he would be a server and have the opportunity to communicate with people.

During this time, he participated in the Real Estate programs at SBCC when he was sure he wanted to enter the industry. Although he didn’t pursue real estate, he applied the knowledge he learned in the program to his future endeavors. “SBCC has always been very supportive of encouraging people to do better, ” he muses.

Each work promotion and educational accomplishment took him one step closer to the life he saw for himself and his family. “My first goal has always been to provide everything for my family, ” he says.

After finishing his schooling at SBCC, he became a U. S. citizen and brought his wife and children to fruition, and Alvarez was just getting started. “City College was the first step for me to, first of all, to speak the language, and then improve myself, ” he says. “And then it allowed me to take further steps in getting into a business perspective. ”

He wanted to do something independently. He approached one ESL teacher, Robin Goodenough, and told her of his aspirations. From this, Goodenough felt inspired to create a group of individuals in the ESL department who wanted to become entrepreneurs. “We never created the group, ” says Alvarez. But that didn’t mean that Goodenough’s support went unnoticed. “It all starts with a person that believes in what you’re doing. ”

With a background in clothing and fashion, Alvarez aimed to introduce a unique business to Santa Barbara. In 2019, he created Grand Central Fashion—intricate, handmade hats and boots designed to last forever. The name derives from New York City’s Grand Central Station, where the undeniable ambiance lent Alvarez a wave of optimism. “If you stand right by the stairs of Grand Central, you’ll see a lot of different inspirations for anything you want to do, ” he reflects.

In the early days of Grand Central Fashion, he purchased hats from a seller in Mexico but had issues with the quality. Handmade was the way to go. His wife consulted an expert hat maker in Mexico who taught Alvarez how to make handmade hats. “When I started this process, I found out that there were just a few people like us in the world, ” he shares. The process is challenging and time-consuming, but the outcome is worth waiting for.

Located on Anacapa Street, his shop offers hand- made hats, shoes, and expert repair services. These services, Alvarez says, are essential to his business. “As you know, hats are very personal, and if you have a good hat, they’re meant to last forever, ” he says. The hat- mending process extends beyond the mere refurbishment of a hat. Through this process, Alvarez celebrates the stories that hats can tell.

Alvarez, who is 37, provides a one-of-a-kind business to the community and connects with that cohort by welcoming them with open arms the same way SBCC welcomed him when he first arrived. He shared with me an encounter with a customer who brought in a hat that his late father wore. While steaming the hat, Alvarez invited the customer to smell the aroma. “Your dad is here, ” Alvarez told him as the customer sniffed the air and became teary-eyed. “This is your dad right here, man. ”

Not only does he connect with his customers, but he also empathizes with them: “This is what I mean when you’re refurbishing, cleaning, or doing something special for a hat… you’re giving a tribute to the person who was there before, ” he says.

Alvarez is very busy these days. A few months ago, Grand Central Fashion opened a showroom in New York. Recently, he collaborated with the cowboy boot brand Lucchese. “Working with Lucchese has been one of the most important achievements for a small company like Grand Central, ” he shares. Through this partnership, Grand Central Fashion designed and produced a collection of hats for the renowned Western brand.

Alvarez has come far since he arrived in America in 2015. With the help of his SBCC education, he created the life he envisioned. But this is only the beginning of his story: “I’m not where I want to be, ” he says, “I’m still working on it. ”

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This article was paid for by Santa Barbara City College. For more information on Santa Barbara City College and the hundreds of programs they offer, visit sbcc.edu or (805) 965-0581. If you are an SBCC alumni please join SBCC Alumni Connect at sbccfoundation.org/alumni.