Valensia Moda: The Story Behind the Name, the Jaguar and the Phoenix

The story of Valensia Moda begins in 2020, from a simple idea: shirts that aren't seen on everyone. In a video published on our channel, founder John answers six questions about the birth of the brand, the name, the design behind the jaguar and the phoenix, and the direction of the years ahead. Here we gather those answers, in his own words.

Why Valensia Was Born, in 2020

Valensia was born from a precise need: shirts with our own prints, cut by hand, different from what you find everywhere. The founder explains it this way: «I wanted shirts that aren't seen on everyone: our own prints, cut by hand. That's where Valensia came from.»

Why does an independent tailored shirt brand come to exist?

An independent shirtmaking brand almost always starts from the same question Valensia's founder asked himself: why wear a shirt just like everyone else's? For us, the answer lies in direct control over the print design and the cut of the garments, from day one.

Where the Name Valensia Comes From

The brand's name comes from the founder's surname. «Valensia comes from my surname, Valencia. The C becomes an S, the S of the person who believed in me from the very beginning: my girlfriend,» John says. A personal detail that stays inside the brand's name every time it's written or spoken.

What the Jaguar and Phoenix of Fantasia Valensia Tell

The pattern that signs the brand was born in 2023, from a design meant to say two things at once. «In 2023 we were looking for a design that said two things: that you can be strong, and that you can start again. They became a jaguar and a phoenix, hidden inside a paisley,» the founder explains. The jaguar recalls John's South American origins and is a symbol of strength. The phoenix recalls rebirth, thought out in relation to the pandemic period. The paisley holds them as a frame, with no meaning of its own.

Anyone wearing a shirt with Fantasia Valensia doesn't need to know this story to wear it. As the founder himself says: «You don't need to know our story to wear them. It's enough to know they're there.»

What do animals mean in fashion patterns and logos?

In its most common symbolism, the jaguar represents strength and the phoenix represents rebirth after a fall: two meanings valid outside any personal story, and this is also why Valensia chose them for its signature print.

Why Brescia

«Because it's my city, and it carries the Brescia shirtmaking tradition with it. Here our shirts are cut by hand by specialised artisans,» John says. The founder wasn't born in Brescia, but has always lived there: it's also the area where Valensia finds the artisans who cut and sew every garment.

The Hardest Moment

Asked about the hardest moment of the journey, the founder's answer is direct: «The hardest moment was having two jobs and taking sewing lessons at the same time.» A detail that tells the beginnings of Valensia better than any slogan: months spent building the brand's foundations outside working hours, between sewing classes and a second job.

Where Valensia Wants to Go in the Coming Years

On the future, the direction set out by the founder is twofold: «I want to grow the online collection and the made-to-measure service, always offering the utmost in Italian quality and craftsmanship.» Two paths, the online collection and the made-to-measure service at our showroom in Capriano del Colle, held together by the same artisanal care.

Discover Valensia in Person

If you want to get to know Fantasia Valensia up close, or speak directly with the person who created the brand, we're waiting for you at our showroom in Capriano del Colle. Anyone who'd rather start from the garment can discover the beige silk Fantasia Valensia shirt, where the jaguar and phoenix design can be seen up close, or book the made-to-measure service.