MEET THE CREATIVE

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Brasilian born (December 1971) from a Puerto Rican Businessman and a famous Argentine theater star, fashion designer and entrepreneur, Bruce was raised in a world of creativity, color and music. Both parents were talented in business and the arts. In the household both Portuguese and Spanish were spoken and encouraged while studying in private schools was done in English. He still has a love for the music of all three countries.

The family moved to the United States in 1980 to Edison New Jersey where Bruce and his family lived a blended life with his father’s first wife Gloria, her daughters my half sisters and their families. It was the first time he felt a connected to something safe, part of the tapestry of the American Dream. For five years it was good and that was a great time when the world was changing, pop music, Apple and cable TV to name a few.

In 1985 the family took a huge leap and move to Mexico City to follow my father's abiotions to runa company similar to the one he had in Brasil. TIP was born (Tecnologia Industrialidad y Prodcutividad)

Everything was turned upside down when his parents divorced soon after moving to the states in the early 80's. Living in New Jersey at the time the broken family and my mother's new husband, settled in Florida where Bruce graduated from High School and served in the Navy. That particular story encompasses a 1 year trip of finding himself which included living in New York City during the "Summer of Love" in 1990 experiencing Wigstock, Voguing and working the VIP door at the famous Roxy, dancing with Grace Jones (introduced by a dear friend) at the Palladium and turning her down for a dancing gig in Rio. After a brief trip to Palm Springs that fall and winter, he finally returned home to graduate high school in 1991 and joining the Navy at the age of 20 in 1992. The Navy came to an end after a service accident that hurt Bruce's back and while under rehabilitation after serving on the USS Kitty Hawk for a VFA he served his rehabilitation and subsequent leave of the Navy in San Francisco. An incredible time where he fell in love with the Castro and country music. Line Dancing and two-stepping in the famous Rawhide with country cameos at the legendary Trocadero Transfer nightclub. Once released and honorably discharged Bruce drove his VW Golf cross country where her choose to stop in Phoenix and Dallas to dance and experience some real country vibes. Dallas's introduction would not take full effect until mush later in Bruce's life. Little did he know the significance of this stop in 1992.

Drawn to the ocean he embarked on a a career at sea when a friend offered him a job on a cruise ship out of Aruba in 1998 as a Port Lecturer for Panoff Publishing (PPI Group) to promote shopping in three languages to the international passengers of the Seawind Crown part of Premier Cruises (The Big Red Boat fame).

After encountering a wild and fun shop manager at the Copa in Fort Lauderdale, he joined the Holland America shopping team from Nuance Global Traders on the Holland America Westerdam to cruise and lead the jewelry team during the Alaska Season of 1999.

(more to come)

How the Brand Began

My journey with Luxury Jewelry and DUTY Free