A photograph of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman wearing a Barabas shirt with actor Sean Penn made him an accidental fashion icon and Barabas one of the world’s hottest men’s labels. And the momentum is growing, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday in a follow-up to its original coverage two weeks ago.
Since the earlier story, Tatiana Kivachook and husband Sam Esteghball, the couple behind the label, have been working more than 12 hours a day to keep up with the demand for the shirts El Chapo made famous. While the shirts sell for $128 on Barabas’ website, they are reported to command as much as $500 on eBay.
The duo, buoyed by unexpected attention, is looking for a strategic partner to help open retail stores. In the meantime, they are hiring additional workers, especially in customer service, to handle orders streaming in from around the world.