Born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia, José Criales-Unzueta moved to the U.S. to attend the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), where he studied fashion design.

Post graduation, he relocated to New York City to take a role as a handbag designer at Coach, but discovered that writing is his calling. Reviewing collections and commentating on industry happenings on social media, he grew an online following. Freelance assignments for international publications including i-D, Business of Fashion, and them. followed. He also became a popular voice for panels and digital activations on platforms such as SHOWstudio and Instagram.

José joined the Vogue Runway team as Fashion News Writer in the summer of 2022.