Dream Job

WHEN YOU BUILD a career out of passion, it's an achievement that's truly rewarding. Just ask Tirso Garcia (better known as Jnr Tirso - JNR is his DJ name), the man behind Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee and DJ outfit Matteblacc.

"It's a business built from sincerity," says Garcia, who founded Choice Cuts and Matteblacc with his partner Andee Reyes (otherwise known as DJ Drem). "We wanted to built a place where like-minded people come together to chill out to good music, dig through records and enjoy real good coffee," says the former model of Filipino heritage but born and bred in Toronto, Canada.

Garcia's love for music is deep-rooted in soul, funk and hip-hop. While deejaying allows him to express his creativity, Choice Cuts is a venture that he hopes will bring together a community of people who share his love and passion for music. "It really is a no-frills place to chill before you hit the clubs or just to unwind on the weekend or after work."

My biggest career achievement to date is... setting up Choice Cuts Goods + Coffee. Unlike other gentrified cookie-cutter cafes that have the ability to set up shop in two weeks (because of huge financial backing), ours is really a passion project - we invested our DJ money to set up this café.

I was really influenced by... the hip hop scene growing up in Toronto, then pursued it further when I started deejaying in the late 90s. That's how I got into setting up our DJ/event initiative Matteblacc www.matteblacc.com .

My five-year plan is... slowly but surely continuing to grow Choice Cuts. Our product is never done. We're always on the lookout to improve it. Right now we have started developing our own merchandise and selling it at Choice Cuts so hopefully in the future we can expand that as well.

My personal style... is dressed down and minimalist. So it's really about a few new statement pieces like the Coach wool coat and a wardrobe built of everyday basics.

When shopping I always look out for... my new favourite basic. I'm a jeans and T-shirt guy so it's important that my clothes (they don't have to be expensive) will last more than a few washes. That's why I like the quality of Coach, as it's really well-made and it gives me lots of mileage in terms of wardrobe longevity.