Crime wave inspires new leather jacket
02/07/2009
A worrying wave of kidnapping and other crime has swept Mexico in recent months. A recent report for the country’s Congress says that there were 1,000 reported cases of kidnapping in 2008, more than double the total for 2006.
In the face of this, designer and boutique owner Miguel Caballero has had an enthusiastic response to a new style of jacket he has introduced in his shop in Polanco, an upmarket neighbourhood in Mexico City. Costing around $3,000 and weighing 1.2 kilos, the jacket is made from fine leather from Italy and Mr Caballero, who is originally from Colombia, claims it can stop a bullet from a nine-millimetre gun from causing too much damage to the wearer.
He told the Financial Times that, because the jacket is also “baby soft” and stylish, his target market for it is not the security forces, but wealthy families who are worried about security. He said: “Rich people feel vulnerable, and they see our products as part of the solution.”
Share this story:
