news
01-13-2016, 03:00 AM
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, notorious for leading the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico and allegedly responsible for thousands of murders, has become a fashion trendsetter in the United States (http://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/01/el-chapo-shirts-are-the-latest-fashion-craze). Unfortunately.
It's not the kingpin's "soiled tank top look (http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/01/12/el_chapo_s_psychedelic_button_down_shirts_in_his_s ean_penn_interview_where.html)" that's garnering attention, as Slate points out, but his silk button-downs, made by Barabas, a Los Angeles-based store that apparently has no problem profiting off this kind of fame.
A photo posted by Barabas_Men (@barabas_men) (https://www.instagram.com/p/BAWKORiwfP4/) on Jan 9, 2016 at 9:08pm PST
When Guzman was photographed for his Rolling Stone interview (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/el-chapo-speaks-20160109) shaking actor Sean Penn's hand and wearing an eye-catching blue striped shirt, Barabas quickly seized the moment (https://www.facebook.com/229910577137178/photos/a.271694159625486.60969.229910577137178/765995970195300/?type=3&theater). It launched a promotion on social media, offering anyone who liked the store on Facebook or Instagram a chance to win (https://www.facebook.com/229910577137178/photos/pb.229910577137178.-2207520000.1452648488./765995970195300/?type=3&theater) a free "Barabas 'El Chapo' Shirt."
The whole thing was reminiscent of a 2008 parody, produced by 236.com, that imagined people copying the shirt worn by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the so-called principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, in a famous photo after his capture.
Barabas' effort worked. The store is currently sold out of the two styles worn by Guzman: "Fantasy," the blue-striped number, and "Crazy Paisley," which shows up in a video accompanying the Rolling Stone story. Each sells for $128 (http://www.tmz.com/2016/01/12/el-chapo-shirts-sales-skyrocket/), according to TMZ. A store manager told BuzzFeed News that she estimates a thousand shirts have been sold (http://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/crimes-against-fashion?bftw&utm_term=.vapMxevbn#.xcDJxNnay). The Barabas website has crashed and was still down at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, the store's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Barabas-Men-229910577137178/) seems to be basking in the publicity.
A photo posted by Barabas_Men (@barabas_men) (https://www.instagram.com/p/BAYxMItQfHU/) on Jan 10, 2016 at 9:27pm PST
It's not clear why people have rushed to buy the shirt -- to celebrate the man, to rejoice in his recapture, to prep for this year's Halloween costume or just to grab a bit of history. But would they have snapped up gloves if Isotoner had pushed the O.J. Simpson connection or filled their closets with some new line of gaudy sweaters linked to Bill Cosby? Why is the head of a murderous drug cartel somehow less objectionable?
Call it the darker side of capitalism.
Barabas' shirts are also for sale (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=barabas+el+chapo&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abarabas +el+chapo) on Amazon, which recently took a rather different approach to products with an unsavory connection. Amazon donated the profits (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/amazon-donates-revenues-from-anti-islam-groups-song-to-refugees_568a9263e4b014efe0daf23d) of an anti-Islam song to a group that supports refugees.
Also on HuffPost:
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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It's not the kingpin's "soiled tank top look (http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/01/12/el_chapo_s_psychedelic_button_down_shirts_in_his_s ean_penn_interview_where.html)" that's garnering attention, as Slate points out, but his silk button-downs, made by Barabas, a Los Angeles-based store that apparently has no problem profiting off this kind of fame.
A photo posted by Barabas_Men (@barabas_men) (https://www.instagram.com/p/BAWKORiwfP4/) on Jan 9, 2016 at 9:08pm PST
When Guzman was photographed for his Rolling Stone interview (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/el-chapo-speaks-20160109) shaking actor Sean Penn's hand and wearing an eye-catching blue striped shirt, Barabas quickly seized the moment (https://www.facebook.com/229910577137178/photos/a.271694159625486.60969.229910577137178/765995970195300/?type=3&theater). It launched a promotion on social media, offering anyone who liked the store on Facebook or Instagram a chance to win (https://www.facebook.com/229910577137178/photos/pb.229910577137178.-2207520000.1452648488./765995970195300/?type=3&theater) a free "Barabas 'El Chapo' Shirt."
The whole thing was reminiscent of a 2008 parody, produced by 236.com, that imagined people copying the shirt worn by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the so-called principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, in a famous photo after his capture.
Barabas' effort worked. The store is currently sold out of the two styles worn by Guzman: "Fantasy," the blue-striped number, and "Crazy Paisley," which shows up in a video accompanying the Rolling Stone story. Each sells for $128 (http://www.tmz.com/2016/01/12/el-chapo-shirts-sales-skyrocket/), according to TMZ. A store manager told BuzzFeed News that she estimates a thousand shirts have been sold (http://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/crimes-against-fashion?bftw&utm_term=.vapMxevbn#.xcDJxNnay). The Barabas website has crashed and was still down at the time of this writing. Meanwhile, the store's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Barabas-Men-229910577137178/) seems to be basking in the publicity.
A photo posted by Barabas_Men (@barabas_men) (https://www.instagram.com/p/BAYxMItQfHU/) on Jan 10, 2016 at 9:27pm PST
It's not clear why people have rushed to buy the shirt -- to celebrate the man, to rejoice in his recapture, to prep for this year's Halloween costume or just to grab a bit of history. But would they have snapped up gloves if Isotoner had pushed the O.J. Simpson connection or filled their closets with some new line of gaudy sweaters linked to Bill Cosby? Why is the head of a murderous drug cartel somehow less objectionable?
Call it the darker side of capitalism.
Barabas' shirts are also for sale (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=barabas+el+chapo&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abarabas +el+chapo) on Amazon, which recently took a rather different approach to products with an unsavory connection. Amazon donated the profits (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=entry/amazon-donates-revenues-from-anti-islam-groups-song-to-refugees_568a9263e4b014efe0daf23d) of an anti-Islam song to a group that supports refugees.
Also on HuffPost:
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
http://rc.feedsportal.com/r/247387943348/u/0/f/677045/c/35496/s/4cd33de1/sc/13/rc/1/rc.img (http://rc.feedsportal.com/r/247387943348/u/0/f/677045/c/35496/s/4cd33de1/sc/13/rc/1/rc.htm)
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