The day before a New York judge sentenced Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to life behind bars, a range of clothing and accessories taking advantage of the drug kingpin’s fame was being launched in Guadalajara.
The name of the clothing line, “El Chapo 701,” comes from the Forbes magazine list that once placed Guzman as the 701st richest person in the world. It includes jackets, caps, belts, wallets, shoes, jewelry, lighters, liquor flasks and other items.
The project is the brainchild of Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman Salazar, the eldest daughter of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel boss.
The majority of profits from the venture will be destined for projects that assist recovering drug addicts, company spokesperson Gilberto de Anda said at the launch.
The line also includes a number of hand-stitched belts crafted by inmates at the Puente Grande penitentiary in Guadalajara, the prison from which Guzman escaped in 1992, allegedly in a laundry basket disguised as a woman. The inmates at the prison will benefit financially from their work, promoters of the project say.
A video posted on social media shows inmates working on the 701 custom-made belts in the line.
The launch took place at the Intermoda fashion show, which ran July 16 to 19 at Expo Guadalajara.
Prices of products in the fashion line start at 150 pesos and go up to 15,000 pesos. Many items are priced at 701 pesos.
According to local reports, licenses to distribute the El Chapo 701 range of products are on offer for $US25,000.
Some of the line’s clothing items, including the baseball caps, can already be purchased on Amazon.com.