I came across Anthony Luis Najera’s page on Instagram and was immediately drawn to the positivity, joy, and colors throughout the XO by ALN brand. Najera seems to be a person who draws others in. He speaks candidly about the life experiences that helped shaped this brand and why the XO symbol and the tagline “draw the line” are such important components of this business.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Smile Politely: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do?
Anthony Luis Najera: I am the founder of the up-and-coming brand XO by ALN. Specifically, I take on all the creative roles and jobs for the business including designing our apparel and logo and managing our brand through consistent content, colors, and themes that are used on our social media and website. Since we are just a business of two, I also do everything from concept, to promotion, to making and shipping out orders. I love all things art, truthfully enjoy doing anything that allows me to use my creativity!
SP: Your brand is so unique, can you tell me about it and how it came to be?
Najera: Thank you, I love that you find it unique, too! The brand started in college from the symbol “XO.” I went through a phase where I had to continue to remind myself to “hug and kiss” myself. It was a form of coping with the hardships of college, relationships, and moving to a whole new environment. Throughout my college years, I realized that it didn’t have to be one extreme or the other; I could find balance by drawing a line. The logo evolved into what we see today which is the X and the heart with a line drawn through both, to symbolize that it’s okay to give and receive love as long as you can “draw the line.” I began using this logo as a signature on all my social media posts, my t-shirts, and any artwork I did. Moving to Illinois with my boyfriend helped everything come to fruition because he had helped me actually start the process of opening a small business.
SP: You focus on self love before anything else. Can you talk a little bit about why that is so important to you and your company?
Najera: This brand promotes the idea that we can reclaim power over the guilt we feel when doing things for ourselves. In focusing on prioritizing self-love, I want to ensure that I am taken care of emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally. That way I can better help the community and world around me. Our brand of self-love and setting boundaries is important because we want people to rise in their own power and focus on their happiness, rather than sticking to the status quo in a situation they hate.
SP: Why did you decide to open your business in Champaign-Urbana?
Najera: It just so happened to be where I landed after I graduated. My boyfriend was moving here for his PhD program during the pandemic, and I chose to move here with him because of love and good timing. It was the perfect place to plant the seed for my business and grow.
SP: You offer custom work as well as your own unique designs. How would you describe your design aesthetic?
Najera: My design aesthetic is simplistic, vibrant, and fun. I love working with color because I feel it is an instant mood booster to see coordinating colors in a design. It’s simple in a sense that I want people to get the overall message of the design. My designs are meant to ignite imagination in the viewer and hopefully get them to have fun with it.
SP: What are the best and worst parts of owning your own business?
Najera: The best part of having my own business is that I get to bring ideas to life and get to share something that has helped me through tough times in the hopes that it can inspire and help other people do the same. Currently, the worst part would have to be the constant work you have to do to maintain the business. Instead of working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job, it feels like you are constantly working with just a gap of time whenever you find it to take a break.
SP: Your brand is such a positive space, and it seems like boundaries are a really important part of your message. With that said, where do you get your inspiration from?
Najera: The inspiration behind the boundaries comes from me choosing to quit my people-pleasing ways in order to form healthier relationships. It was important for me to learn how to draw the line with people who took advantage of my kindness. Even for me to establish boundaries within myself in order to create better habits that were going to help me reach my goals.
SP: I love how different creatives approach their work. What does your design process look like?
Najera: My design process starts with a clean house and studio. I enjoy having a clean space, burning some sage or incense, putting on some music or a podcast, and sipping on a yerba mate tea. Also having all my inspiration from notes, web pages, and social media out and ready to be skimmed helps with the design process.
SP: What do you hope the future holds for XO by ALN?
Najera: I would love to open a storefront to better connect with our XO family and grow into other cities and states to help spread the reminder of self-love. I want XO to grow so that we can give back to the communities that have helped us get to where we are, whether that’s a festival all about self-love or hosting a workshop all about reclaiming power. The main objective is to lead and support self-love journeys by empowering our clients to take control over their own lives by setting boundaries and prioritizing self-love.
SP: What’s your favorite thing to do in Champaign-Urbana?
Najera: My favorite thing to do lately has been to go down to Urbana’s Main Street for the cute Christmas lights and yummy restaurants. The nightlife is pretty cool there now that they’ve opened more new places. I might start with dinner at Encanto and check out the art with a drink from the Gallery Art Bar.
