The Mexican fashion industry has been embroiled in controversy after a Mexican online store launched a white jacket inspired by the one worn by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán during his first capture and presentation to the media in 1993.
The item, announced on social media through a campaign featuring the garment against a grayish background similar to that of the iconic photographs from the Altiplano prison, generated outrage and debate almost immediately.
The issue escalated further after the release of a video that, using artificial intelligence, recreates a younger version of Guzmán Loera wearing the jacket and showing his bloodied chest.
The images of the piece reveal details that directly allude to that episode in Mexico’s recent criminal history: the garment isn’t identical, but it bears a striking resemblance to the one El Chapo wore on the rainy afternoon he was handed over to the press as one of the highest-profile drug lords, even though his role in the cartel was still secondary at the time.
As a disruptive element, the brand’s jacket includes a large red stain on the inner lining, simulating blood, located precisely where the brand or size label would normally be.
