Hikerkind Features
Genesis De Leon
Meet Genesis De Leon, a home textile designer and hiker living in Brooklyn, New York.
Hikerkind:
Tell us about yourself.
Genesis De Leon:
I’m Genesis De Leon, a designer, avid hiker, and secondhand bookshop lover based in Brooklyn, New York. Creatively, I explore the connection a person has in relation to themselves and the space around them. My background in apparel and home textiles guides how I convert personalities of diverse lifestyles into different design categories.
Hikerkind:
Why do you hike? How does it make you feel?
Genesis De Leon:
I feel that hiking itself is a meditative act. It's easy to forget to pause while we’re keeping up with a world that’s constantly moving and changing. Being outdoors helps me focus on the present as well as find balance between my mental and physical being. Discovering new paths to explore is a rewarding experience that leaves me energized for my next journey!
Hikerkind:
What was your experience with nature like growing up?
Genesis De Leon:
Splitting time between Long Island and Dominican Republic, which are surrounded by natural beauty, has given me an appreciation for nature and all it has to offer. Growing up with Caribbean mountains and Long Island seashores so accessible has encouraged me to connect and interact with the natural side of regions. Now whichever state or country I travel to, I always try to sneak in a hike and explore beyond the main attractions of the metropolitan area.
Hikerkind:
How does the outdoors inspire you and your work now?
Genesis De Leon:
Even though being outdoors enhances your connection to yourself, so does being in your own home. The place we live and work out of definitely calls for a mindful setting! As a home textile designer, I try to explore ways to incorporate the comforting experiences of being outdoors into the home space by means of creating color palettes reminiscent of serene landscapes, integrating natural patterns, and developing fabrics with performance attributes for longevity.
Genesis is wearing Base Bra_01, Shirt_01, and Shorts_01 in size extra small.
