Josi's primary inspirations are the color & motion, the people & textures, the music & vitality of the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago in which she lives. Her proud Southside roots might account for her bold use of color and love of form-hugging silhouettes... and her background in computer science makes her more than a touch picky about the details.

She loves Intelligentsia Coffee, pastries from BomBon Café & Da Bears. She can be pacified with good chocolate, would never even think of putting ketchup on a hot dog, and does not consider 20 below zero too cold for a football game. Although gushy compliments usually make her cringe, she loves to hear from readers about how they would tweak her designs.