Post N009

May 12, 2025

You know, it’s not like I have anything to hide at this point. We did it. We built and captured the second generation of The Box.

It’s been a long-standing goal of mine to find the idea for the next one. The original was created in 2019, and I’ve been trying to chase that feeling ever since. I’m happy to say this second iteration couldn’t have come at a better time.
(And yes, I’m going to say box way too many times.)

For those who aren’t familiar with Box 1, check out my first Substack post here for some backstory.

A big part of what made Box 1 possible was the space I had access to—specifically, the backyard of the house I grew up in. After moving out, that kind of space disappeared. Whether I was in an apartment in New York or Santa Monica, there was no room for an 8x8 all-white cube. But even more than the physical space, Box 1 came at a time when everything was about to change.

It was late 2019. College apps were due. Graduation was around the corner. It was that last chapter of high school where everyone’s still together, but you can feel the clock ticking. I didn’t want to think about the future. I just wanted one more night where my friends and I could celebrate what we had.

That night in 2019, I told the models to wear what felt silly and over-the-top, and to act as wildly as they wanted. I wanted the experience to feel freeing for everyone. The energy was chaotic and beautiful. It was the perfect goodbye to a part of life we didn’t even realize we were leaving.

Fast forward to 2021. I graduated high school virtually (thanks, COVID), took a road trip with Henry, and then moved to New York to start at Parsons. I chose the Strategic Design & Management major because I thought it wouldn’t box me into one creative lane like fashion design. I imagined I’d be making more projects like The Box—exploring mediums like jewelry design, architecture, music, and having the network to collaborate with friends. But that didn’t really happen.

Most of the things that gave me creative joy were projects like the natural dyes and the vest I made. (Click the links to check out these projects on my website!) And those all happened outside of school. They didn’t even happen in NYC—it was only when I would go back to Santa Monica where I felt my creativity flourish. And now, after graduating, I’m back home in Santa Monica, writing about my latest project, Box 2.

I finally got the concept and idea. It occurred to me just a month ago, as I’ve been working my first real job. It was the perfect storm.

Since October, I’ve been working my first job post-grad. And surprise: it’s been harder than I expected. I sit in an office all day, mostly by myself, watching the sun pour through the glass walls while I stare at my computer. I drive home through LA traffic, breathe in the smog, try to reset my mind with exercise, make dinner, then sadly scroll my evening away. Sometimes I see friends on weekends, but it’s not like it used to be.

I’ve never felt such a loss of community. I’m lucky to be employed, and I’m learning a lot. But I also feel boxed in again, this time by routine. It’s a weird kind of silence. And while there’s a voice in my head telling me to escape—to travel, to take time—I’m also scared to step away from a good opportunity. What if I miss something? What if friends move back to LA as soon as I leave again?

A few weeks ago, I was walking around the office and noticed the space—three white walls forming lanes and sections, like your classic cubicles but larger. I mentioned the idea to Josh. We talked for five minutes before deciding: let’s build another Box. This time, even bigger.

This was my original idea was just use this corner of the “cubicle” space.

Then we realized we needed to use the entire space.

The area in the office that we decided to transform

Once we started, I realized: these white walls had been waiting for me. It felt obvious in hindsight.

Maybe I’m supposed to leave it up to you to interpret the images, but I also want to be honest about what this version of The Box means. It’s about this new life I’m navigating, my post-grad reality. I sit in this office all day, practically alone, trying to make sense of these new, unfamiliar emotions. I feel like my world has shrunk. I used to be surrounded by friends, spontaneity, and nature. Now it feels like there’s a version of me that’s just fading into routine. Fewer friends around, less time outside, less of that energy that once made life feel expansive. It’s been hard to process that shrinking feeling, and Box 2 is where I decided to channel all of it.

Box 2 was physically built in the office I work at. So we couldn’t nail it harder on the head, I think. (Hopefully that’s the right expression.) Box 2 captures everything I’ve been feeling:
– The way I sit at my desk.
– The way my boss stands over me while giving direction.
– The mental noise.
– The feeling that I need to shut my brain off when I get home.

I wanted the models to feel otherworldly, like beings who had been dropped into this space they weren’t prepared for. That’s how I’ve felt: like someone trying to adjust to a new environment I never got a handbook for. The Box became a stage for that feeling. I built my current life inside the cubicle... and it was built using the walls of an actual cubicle!

On a lighter note, The Box as an overall project is a celebration of collaboration. That’s what I love the most about being a creative: the opportunity to bring friends in, to make something beautiful together. Whether it was Connor teaching me how to sew and make my clothing when I was a freshman in high school, or Josh shooting Box 2. I couldn’t do any of this alone. Creativity isn’t supposed to be solitary. And it’s so lame when the beginning or end of a movie says “a film by ___” like one person made the whole thing. That’s just not real. Nothing is made without a team. (Calling out Sean Baker… Anora is great though.)

If I could spend the rest of my life doing one thing, it’d be making projects like this with the people I love. That’s the dream. I even wrote about it in one of my early Substack posts—something about a ranch in Wyoming where we’d all live and create together, forever. Thousands of acres, endless projects, no egos, just genuine collaboration and freedom of expression. That’s the fantasy.

So maybe this Box isn’t just a physical cube. It’s the metaphor I’ve been living in—boxed in by a degree, a job, a routine. But in building this version and sharing it with the world, I’m also breaking out of it. I’ve felt a genuine shift in energy these last couple of weeks, with a new job and other exciting opportunities. Henry and I went to the Sierra Nevadas for 24 hours for a fishing adventure. It was my first taste of real nature in over six months. Maybe it’s because spring is here that things are starting to turn around.

Lastly, this project allows me to feel confident that I’m not just a fashion designer—nor do I want to be called one. Because I feel like a lot of my hometown friends still think I want to be a designer.

GANTOS is a…
Social media content creator
Brand strategist
Copywriter
Writer
Screenprinter
Jewelry designer (Thank you, Lydia)
Natural dyer
Photographer
Spatial designer
Entrepreneur
Producer
Social impact’er
NFT’er
Fashion designer
Connecter
Collaborator

See how, on gantosinc.com. Check out the final Box 2 images here

Josh shot the whole thing and helped bring the vision to life. I can’t thank him enough for being my creative partner through this.

The next Box? It needs to involve water somehow. That’s all I’ve got for now.

Thanks for reading—and for being part of this journey.
See you when GTA 6 drops.

We Built “Box 2”

Don’t Tread on Me