“I have no doubt that I was meant to do this,” said CFDA member Edmundo Castillo during the 2016 Cooper-Hewitt Diseño lecture series on the impacts of Latinos on American design.

This realization he’d want to be a designer came to him at a young age. Growing up in Puerto Rico in a family of a lot of women, the designer was surrounded by island style and fashion. His memories recall passionate shoe talk in the house, and watching his sisters, cousins, and aunts getting ready as a daily routine. “High heels, platforms and metallics have never gone out of fashion; day or night, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

It sparked his creativity and led him to the Dominican Republic to study at the Altos de Chavón School of Design under the late iconic fashion illustrator and fellow Boricua Antonio Lopez, who ultimately encouraged him to become a shoe designer. And so, he made the big move in 1986, from one island in the Caribbean to another one bound by the Hudson, East and Harlem rivers: Manhattan.

Castillo built his own label launched in 1990 and earned accolades including CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for Best Emerging Accessories Designer and the Rising Star Award from Fashion Group International. He was a finalist for the emerging designer competition CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2003, making a big statement when he asked a model to walk on the judge’s table at their first meeting – yes, the shoes deserved that much attention.

Along the way – before and after his namesake – there were gigs at Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Sergio Rossi, Castañer and Aquatalia. Today, he serves as head of design at Stuart Weitzman.

Footwear is an inextricable part of our lives. They clothe, protect and adorn our feet, and make us swoon with emotion over the right pair. They define culture and breed new ones, like the New York City sneakerheads or red bottom high heel aficionados, and we’ve got Castillo to thank for his own contributions to the world of shoes.

Throughout the over two decades of Castillo’s offerings to design, he’s become the ultimate tastemaker: a Puerto Rican kid from an island destined to make footwear for women of the world.

The big takeaway from it all for him? “Life has no limits when you are kind and true to yourself.”

What are your thoughts on the current state of Latinxs in the fashion industry, and how can we empower and make room for diversity in the pipeline?
I think that there is more room for Latinxs in the fashion industry. Education is critical for success. The creation of programs, access to information, and scholarships designed to inspire the community and help them learn about the many fields within the fashion industry are all important.

How have you seen the fashion industry change in terms of diversity and inclusion from when you started to now? Were there ever instances you encountered in your early career where you felt challenged or discredited for being Latino?
When I was challenged with comments about how much harder it was going to be for me to succeed in the fashion industry as a Puerto Rican, I never once let them slow me down. My first experience in the fashion industry was as an intern at Oscar de la Renta where the design studio was very diverse. It was there that I got my first boost of confidence as a Latino and as a designer. Oscar had always been an inspiration to me since I was much younger, growing up in Puerto Rico. Later with Donna Karan at DKNY, and working at Ralph Lauren alongside Candy Pratts Price, the design teams I was a part of were made up of designers from many different parts of the world. I was always driven by the passion that I had for my dreams and goals.

Why is it important to be proud of our Latinidad, and why is it important for us to celebrate and observe Latinx Heritage Month?
It is very important to be proud of our Latin roots.  It is who we are, and there is no reason for us not to celebrate that.  There are more than 60 million Latinos in just the U.S. alone, and we contribute at all levels in every field.

Editor’s Note: This feature is part of an ongoing editorial series celebrating Latinxs in fashion during National Latinx Heritage Month.  Click here to access the series.