In the next few days, up-and-coming CHamoru designer Jayden Cross will find out if he’s been accepted into the one of the top fashion and design schools in the world, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
If he is, the 20-year-old be moving from his Sacramento area home in August to join the almost 8,000 undergraduates at FIT, which is part of the SUNY system.
And if he doesnʻt? “I'm probably going to move to LA and focus completely, 100 percent, on my brand.”
Jayden Cross sits for a portrait while showcasing some of his designs, some of which were featured in a runway show at LA Fashion Week in March.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
That brand would be Kurento, which had its official debut at Los Angeles Fashion Week 2026 March 13-14 at The Lot Studios in West Hollywood. Produced by The Bureau Fashion Week, the event featured more than 70 designers including Jayden, who was selected to participate in one of five runway shows.
“I started planning this for this fashion show back in August, so I definitely had a lot of time to change … and marinate on a multitude of different ideas,” he said, adding that preparation paved the way for his very first runway show, which showcased a collection he called Coalition. “I just thought so much about this for so long that it was like, boom, boom, boom … there was no nervousness, because I was just so focused and locked in, it was awesome.”
Jayden Cross, top middle photo, asked eight friends in the LA area to model his Coalition collection at first runway show in March by The Bureau Fashion Week’s LA event. “My intent for this collection is to embody what it means to be a part of something greater, to be to belong to a meaningful team. … Having a trusted, cohesive team transforms any journeys, not only using the weight of individual burden, but making the process more meaningful along the way, as it is a shared experience and challenge that you can relish in but those who have become dear to you,” Alex wrote for a card distributed at his booth at the event.
(photographs courtesy of Jayden Cross)
He also wowed show organizers with his booth, one of only three that were offered to designers. As a new designer, he didnʻt have merchandise to sell but instead focused on using the space to draw people in and make the contacts heʻd need to get started manufacturing his pieces.
While the other booths featured a spartan setup with only tables, his “lounge” included comfy chairs, coffee tables and a rug, with portraits of his eight looks framing the space.
The Bureau coordinators said that no other designer had ever taken advantage of the space so creatively, telling him, “You're welcome back to any show — New York, Paris, Tokyo, Houston, wherever. Like, we've never seen anything like this.”
(photographs courtesy of Jayden Cross)
From 'Back Alley' Inspiration to Runway Reality
In the seven months he had to design his collection, he created 25 different garments - jackets, overcoats, pants and more — for eight “looks” to create a cohesive aesthetic that he described as Back Alley Luxury.
“It’s that dichotomy of luxury-looking pieces but also pieces have been aged, tattered, worn. Itʻs a like a mixture of motor culture, grunge, distressed, vintage — thatʻs the inspiration to the brand Kurento in general and the direction that I want for Coalition. Very heavy in leather, denim and distressing,” he said.
The lineup for the Coalition collection at Jayden Cross’ first runway show at The Bureau Fashion Week’s LA event in March.
(photograph courtesy of Jayden Cross)
The entire collection pays tribute to the “all of the people that have just contributed in my life to me becoming the person that I am.”
Those people include not only the eight friends from the LA area who walked the runway and modeled his looks, they also include all his family who came down from Sacramento to support him: his mother, Jessica Gogo Cross; father, Anthony Cross; grandmother, Remedios Gogo; and siblings Anthony, Eric and Savana.
A Creative Rebirth: From EMT Training to the Sewing Machine
The young designer credits his sister, Savana, with getting him started in the fashion design world. At a young age, he had a strong sense of his own style, starting in kindergarten when he was pairing his favorite LEGO Star Wars T-shirt with a vest and fedora a la Bruno Mars — “that would be my way of paying homage to a style that I liked.”
As he gained weight in his elementary and middle school years, he faced being bullied and found confidence in expressing himself through his clothing — from the baggy pants and shirts of skating culture to evolving to his own unique aesthetic. “I wore, like, flare jeans, cowboy boots and a red cardigan,” marking him as “the fashion guy” even among the cool kids.
Designer Jayden Cross with the friends who supported him during his first runway show at The Bureau Fashion Week’s LA event in March.
(photograph courtesy of Jayden Cross)
After graduating high school in 2023, he did a year at Cal State Fullerton before returning to his Elk Grove home to get certified as an EMT. But when his best friend, Cameron Basa, left his university studies to pursue his dream of a music career in LA, that sparked an internal conversation about what he really wanted to do with his life.
He realized that he wanted to evolve from a passive consumer to a creator of fashion. In December 2024, he asked his sister about the sewing machine she bought during the pandemic but didnʻt use much. “I was just like, hey, do you mind if I borrow your sewing machine? And she was like, sure, just make me a jacket. … So she let me borrow hers, which I still use to this day.”
Jayden Cross got his start in fashion design using his sister’s sewing machine, which he uses to this day. Here, he’s shown with one of his designs that reflects his aesthetic, which he calls Back Alley Luxury.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
That creative rebirth led to a summer intensive last year at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where he completed some projects and showcased them at the end of the program. Riding that high, he applied for the LA Fashion Show and the organizer asked to get on a zoom call with him.
“My sewing skills at this time were good, but not nothing like enough to present a whole collection,” he said. But “I showed her my project, and she was like, ‘Oh, I think you'd be a lovely fit for LA Fashion Week — this certain venue kind of fits your style. Like, you know, we love young designers and supporting them.’
“And then I just thought to myself, ‘Bite off more than you can chew and figure out how to chew it.’ And, you know, pressure makes diamonds, and that's just kind of where my mind has been this whole last seven months.”
A Jayden Cross jacket that reflects his aesthetic - “Itʻs a like a mixture of motor culture, grunge, distressed, vintage — thatʻs the inspiration to the brand Kurento in general.”
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
What’s Next
As he plots his next move, both paths leading to the East (NY) or West (LA) ultimately will lead to building and strengthening his brand in a manner that reflects the name.
Kurento combines the Japanese word "kuroso," or cross, which links back to his last name, with the Italian word "lento," meaning slow — which is how he said he lives life now after moving back to Elk Grove from Fullerton, where he had engaged in a fast life and self-destructive behaviors. During his EMT training, an instructor told him that in firefighting, you don’t want to go fast because you may overlook mistakes.
“So he said this quote that has always stuck with me, it was, ‘Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.’ That was just such an eye opener to me, and … something that I kind of base my brand on is just moving slow and intentional is the key to seeing the future and ensuring that no step is overlooked.”
Jayden Cross, shown at his home in Elk Grove, Sacramento County, California.
(photography by Manny Crisostomo, all rights reserved)
Whether he’ll be studying at FIT or chasing his dream of working in Los Angeles, Jayden intends for his rise in the fashion world to be as deliberate as it is definitive — making sure every stitch, and every step, is handled with purpose.