The talented and dedicated soccer player Juan Pablo Delgadillo recalls the time he went to the mall during COVID-19. He had his mind set on finding a hoodie or a jogger set for men with good quality, and to his surprise, he couldn't find anything to that description. A store like Aritzia featured these products but only for women. He was determined to figure out a way to explore this side of the market, and with hard work, creativity, and determination, Aplos was made.

 Aplos [απλóς], meaning simplicity in Greek, was created by Delgadillo after he noticed the market missing quality grade sweats for men. What started off as a fun hobby has turned into something bigger. 

Over the years he has focused on making drops every season. Starting off with hoodies and sweatsuits, transitioning to jackets, shorts and t-shirts, and most recently, varsity jackets. 

The business major has done his fair share of research in efforts to streamline the company in an upward trajectory. In his view, marketing has taken a turn, where a lot of it is done using social media, which he strives to do. 

Starting a fashion brand alone is a great accomplishment for Delgadillo, who designed and styled everything from scratch. His priority is making sure his clothes are up to standard when looking for a manufacturer. "I'm just so focused on my clothing being the best quality that it takes a while to find one [manufacturer]," said Delgadillo. 

The brand's demographic ranges from anyone between the ages of 18-30, based on the type of clothing most people of this age are wearing. "I find a lot of people in university, even people fresh out of university, really enjoy my brand," Delgadillo commented.

The brand upholds a level of sustainability and is environmentally friendly, using supima cotton which is sustainably grown and picked. Certificates awarded to Aplos prove their clothes are not fast fashion manufacturing. "The materials that we use are organic. So it's a lot of little things that we do," he explained.

He devotes his nights to building, creating, and improving his brand, but what is he doing the rest of the day? A schedule like his is hard to keep up with. Along with owning a fashion brand, Delgadillo works full-time as a self-contracted barber. He says, "it's honestly something I love doing. I love talking with new people every day. Just have them in my chair."
 
Working as a barber from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. to working on Aplos after 10 p.m. sounds like a lot, but as a full-time student and varsity athlete, Delgadillo stays busy. Playing soccer is one of the biggest parts of his life as well. He began playing at just four years old in North Mississauga, and by the time he was 14, he started traveling, playing in countries all over Europe and South America. Before coming to Toronto Metropolitan, he spent a year at the University of Wisconsin as a D1 athlete. Now Delgadillo is seen as one of the leaders of the Bold.

The team has grown a lot closer in the last year, especially getting to play with each other all summer. "Moving to TMU wasn't very difficult, if anything it was easy," Delgadillo expressed. Being a first-year in the States, some of the seniors would ignore him, and now as one of the older players, he knows that's not the type of leader he wants to be.

"I told a rookie who was starting to just enjoy the game because the four years will fly," Delgadillo recalls from last season.

Balancing his two businesses, school work, and being a varsity athlete is a lot on one plate, yet for him, being busy isn't a bad thing. "For me, it doesn't really feel like work. It just feels like something that I love to do," said Delgadillo. 

Although he loves working, the pressure to have a social life, like spending time with friends and family, is difficult. He makes it a priority to see them when he can by taking days off and continuing to devote time to all of his endeavours. 

With fourth-year right around the corner, there is a lot of pressure to balance it all. Delgadillo has many plans for his future in the fashion industry all while being a barber and a varsity student-athlete. "I hired a creative director recently and he's been helping me manage photo shoots and the creative things," Delgadillo added. Getting the extra hand has made things easier for him to manage.

His love for the sport and the team is exceptional, but the list of priorities is constantly growing. "I love the game, I love the players, and the staff is amazing," he said. After reaching the quarter-final this season, Delgadillo will now pay close attention to the upcoming drop in his brand, the varsity jackets. 

The future of the brand is extremely important, but looking back to where it all started, was when Delgadillo was a young fan of fashion. "Ever since I was a kid I was always interested in, putting outfits together, and finding ways to rock cargos with a shirt or sweater, and that inspired me to make my own designs," said Delgadillo. He has a process that any fashion designer should strive to have, which is judging how clothes look and what would make them immensely better. 

One feature that is so special about Aplos, is the messages of self-love it chooses to send out. The brand has evolved quite a bit, and in the beginning, it was simple sweatsuits and hoodies. Now a lot of their designs include powerful and impactful messages, including 'You know me so well' and 'Just look how far you've come'.

"I would notice every day that people our age are stressed or anxious and it was just like a quick reminder that you're doing good. Nothing to stress about," Delgadillo shared.
 
The one message that resonated the most with him was 'Are you gonna be there for you?'

"I feel like that's so under looked, so many people are so focused on loved ones, friends, others, and you often forget about yourself," said Delgadillo. As a busy student-athlete and business owner, he recognizes how necessary it is to take care of himself. The brand is pushing the limits, and they are starting with self-love. 

The humble Delgadillo has been told how successful he is, yet it doesn't change his mindset, that he is just like everybody else. Delgadillo the soccer player, business owner, designer, barber, and leader has done so much at the age of 20. He hopes to do more for himself and those around him, and eventually in the future, Aplos will be the store in the mall people are looking for.