Someday, You Could Be Wearing His Jeans

Kid from San Francisco makes big pitch for new clothing line

His name may not be familiar to you yet someday, Jesus Ballonte hopes his styles will be in your closet.

Ballonte is taking a trip to the nation's mecca of fashion this week to pitch his idea to a panel of judges in hopes of launching his career as a business mogul.

The 18-year-old is hoping to join the ranks of Sean John, Jay-Z and Master P, cashing in on style with his line of urban clothing with a professional flair.

If the judges in New York pick him, his company Chuyz Fresh Fits will have a $10,000 start. Ballonte told the Examiner the motivation behind his business model:

I’ve seen a lot of urban youth and they are wearing a lot of baggy jeans. [My items] are ultra-premium denim and they are at affordable prices. I decided that I wanted to change the common style of the jeans that are baggy ... so you can be able to wear them with a suit or something and be presentable.

Ballonte is a finalist in the Network for Teaching Entrepeneurship (NFTE) Bay Area Regional Youth Business Plan -- a program aimed at turning ambitious students into successful entrepeneurs. He'll be compteing against students from around the country for the big-money prize on Wednesday.

Ballonte told the Examiner he's had a couple hundred of requests for his styles since he started wearing the jeans around the Bay Area, taking the pulse of the City's fashionably-sensible.

If he wins, Ballonte will use some of the money to launch a Web site to get his business going.

Good luck, Jesus!

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