iproteccion para los dictadores!
The latest trend in Latin American presidential fashion? Miguel Caballero's anti-bullet cloth. Caballero's line of high-security cloth is proving popular among Latin American leaders. In an interview to the British daily The Guardian, the Colombian designer reported a yearly increase in sales from US$3 million in 2004 to US$7 million in 2005.
From the Guardian.co.uk:
"We mix trends and security," Mr Caballero beamed. "There are over 1,000 companies in the world who make bulletproof jackets, but only we make high-security fashion."
Having started his company 13 years ago in Colombia, the "Armani of bulletproof clothing" is now selling garments from his collection in much of Latin America and beginning to expand beyond. He claims that sales in 2005 totalled $7m (£3.9m) - up from $3m the year before.
Mr Caballero's client list includes Venezuela's flamboyant left-wing president, Hugo Chavez, who regularly dons a red guayabera shirt, designed to withstand attack by anything up to an Uzi sub-machine gun.
Last week the company received an order from Mr Chavez's cabinet for 50 items ranging from cotton vests to raincoats. Colombia's conservative president, Alvaro Uribe, also owns one of the protective guayaberas, apparently trusting it to keep him safe but casual at weekly meet-the-people encounters.
Even Chavez's trademark red guayabera has the Caballero label.
Good to know that the fashionistas of the world have the good sense to wear protective clothing.