Magic Hands

Any business man, on both the Arizona and Sonora sides of Nogales, will tell you that if you are looking for a tailor "go to Mr. Cuevas, of course."

Jose Cuevas started learning the art of tailoring when he was 13-years-old. At 15 he learned how to cut trousers and at 19, when business began to slow in Nogales, he decided to move to Mexico City to learn from a successful tailor.



57 years later, Mr. Cuevas works out of the same first-floor shop he bought in 1973 in Nogales, Sonora. Originally he had 14 tailors working for him and now it's down to two. But that doesn't bother Mr. Cuevas at all. He loves his job and loves all the work sent his way.

Unfortunately, for me, fewer tailors on hand means Mr. Cuevas no longer has the time to make garments for women. That's too bad because I've had the pleasure of watching him construct a suit from scratch using extravagant Ermenegildo Zegna fabric he keeps in stock. I've also seen him alter a Phoenix businessman's Hugo Boss suit from four different seams. Both came out flawlessly.

Click HERE to read my full Q&A with Mr. Cuevas.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Mexico Primavera/Verano 2009

They are events that make or break a designer's career. They are platforms that showcase what will become the industry's most sought after trends.

They dictate what we will see celebrities wearing on the red carpet and what will grace the closets of fashionable men and women around the globe.

Paris, New York, Milan, and London host them twice a year. Berlin has one too. So does Hong Kong and Buenos Aires.

It's Fashion Week.

These days it's not only the fashion capitals that stage the fashion world's largest talent shows. In fact, Mexico plays host to a semiannual fashion week and its runway shows have received the attention of the international fashion community.

Mercedes-Benz, which sponsors New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Berlin's fashion weeks, has participated in Mexico's fashion week since 2001.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Mexico took place this past week (Oct. 13-17). Five runway shows were held each day in Antara Polanco, Mexico City's premiere shopping center.

The world-renowned design house Strenesse kicked off fashion week with the debut of its Spring 2009 collection.

Mexican designers such as Alberto Rodriguez, Armando Mafud, and Manuel Mendez also showcased their spring/summer collections during the week.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Mexico hosted non-runway events as well. The week of activities included an "Accessories Day" and a "Perfume Night". In 2007, for instance, Spanish accessory designer Purificacion Garcia debuted her collection and Carolina Herrera presented her new fragrance. A film festival was also offered, which featured films like Sophia Coppola's 2006 masterpiece Marie Antoinette and director Steven Soderbergh's Solaris (2002).

Mexican Clothing 101

I am dedicating this entry to something I should have done at the inception of Local Threads: I am going to describe traditional Mexican clothing.

Traditional Mexican clothing incorporated indigenous elements with European influences. Materials like cotton, wool, agave, and bark were typically used to make garments, and later the Spaniards introduced the natives to silk.

Mexicans originally used color from natural elements to dye fabrics until the Europeans introduced them to their dying techniques, which utilized aniline dyes.


Below are some of the traditional Mexican garments worn:

Quechquemitl: This garment is reminiscent of our modern-day poncho. It is produced using two pieces of rectangular handwoven cloth, which is sewn together on each side. A hole is made at the top of the two attached pieces of fabric so it can be slipped over the head.


Huipil (Wee-peel): This might be considered similar to our modern-day "muu muu". It is a long, woven sack-like tunic. This garment is made using strips of fabric (length and width vary) that are then stitched together on the sides and often adorned with decorative embroidery.


Rebozo: This is a rectangular piece of fabric worn as a scarf or shawl. Sometimes it was used to carry goods to and from the market. Today the rebozo is still worn, and can often be seen on new mothers as an alternative way to carry their babies.


Puebla Dress: This is a short-sleeved, loose-fitting dress that is garlanded with intricate embellishments and embroidering. It later took on the name "boho dress" and is still seen today in designer collections that channel 70s chic with a Spanish flair (see left from Joie collection).



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Arte Huaxyacac is a company in Oaxaca, Mexico that still sells traditional garments as well as contemporary ones. Here is a quick film showcasing some of its handcrafted designs.