A Mexican designer named Miguel Caballero has managed to turn shit to silk, creating a line of bullet-proof clothing that appeals to consumers in a nation torn apart by drug cartel violence. Fashionable and perfect for Christmas with la familia. We don’t trust that primo Hector pa’ nada:

Miguel Caballero’s sleek glass and metal showroom is just around the corner from the Hugo Boss boutique on Avenida Presidente Masaryk, a high-end shopping thoroughfare in the Polanco neighborhood, one of the most upscale in Mexico City.

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.

“In all the clothing that we have here, it’s 100 percent flexible,” Caballero says. “With the bulletproof vests of the police force, you can’t find that.”

They’re too busy taking bribes to be invested in fashion, we guess.

It’s sad that such clothes actually make sense in certain parts of the world where people are flirting with danger every time they go out. Or where people are totally, completely insane:

Caballero boasts that his clients include the presidents of Colombia, Peru and Guatemala. There are rumors that his product has ended up under Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s trademark sweaters, but Caballero won’t confirm them. He’s made bulletproof clothes for Prince Felipe of Spain and his wife, Letizia. Once, Caballero says, he even created an armored kimono for actor Steven Seagal.

Now if only Caballero could throw together a pair of pants for enchilada night, we’d be all set.

Clothier’s Bulletproof Designs Merge Style, Safety [NPR]