mundoss.comCulture Arts & Events with a doss of Latin style

I am a peaceful guy by nature, but the truth is that keeping it "real" in Brooklyn can be a dangerous prospect. Sometimes when  I’m out on the mean streets of Billyburg  (Williamsburg for all you non-Brooklynites) I have no idea what fool might try and start something . . . like that time some guy knocked my late night pizza to the ground cause he thought I stole his grape soda (I waited 15 minutes for that slice!). Or that other time this dude with long hair and a 70’s mustache accused me of being a yuppie cause I wasn’t  wearing a leisure suit . I mean come on man. . .  But I digress.  The point is that some places are rougher than others. And If you’re the type that runs with the Gangster Rap, Pitbull crowds and have the bucks to prove it , well, I have a designer for you, Miguel Caballero.

Originally from Colombia, Miguel took the violence that surronded him on a daily basis and decided to capitalize on it.  He began a bullet proof clothing line geared toward the rich, famous and political. His racks are lined with bulletproof blazers, women’s suede jackets that’ll stop a .44 Magnum, T-shirts lined with body armor and guayabera shirts for catching sun or bullets. Now for me I think all this is all a super gimmick. I mean bullet proof guayaberas you can’t be serious? If you visit his website you’ll get a Sean John (P Diddy’s clothing line) vibe, but Latin style and of course with actual stopping power. To me this is a way to exploit the serious situations happening in many of the places Caballero offers his line, Bogota, Mexico City,  and Caracas to name  a few. These places see real violence, kidnappings and street killings that happen in broad daylight. Mexico, for example, has seen a huge surge in violence recently as the government attempts to crack down on the nation’s powerful drug cartels. This year alone, nearly 1,400 people have been killed in drug-related shootings. 

But not everyone agrees with my humble opinion, in fact a lovely woman very close to me thinks quite differently. She believes it is a sad commentary on the state of things, that people have to consider resorting to these types of measures just to try and live a "normal" life. I mean paying $2000-$9400 for a leather, bullet proof jacket is no light matter, nor is the fact that everyday you step out of your door is potentially a day you may take a bullet.  I understand that living that way, if you’re the rich, famous or political can be super stressful and tough. But what about all those innocent and not so wealthy citizens that live with this violence next door. What options do they have?

To me the clothing line is interesting PR, that continues to highlight our fascination with violence and popular culture . To her it’s a choice people have to make to survive, so why not make it a fashionable one. What can I say . . . you decide.

- David P