Uncool is the new cool: NaCo from Mexico Edit

“NaCo was created in 1999 by Tijuana’s Edoardo Chavarín and Mazatlán’s Robby Vient, schoolmates at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. What started as a hobby has turned into an internationally known brand of t-shirts, hats, backpacks, wallets and other apparel and accessories. Its products are sold in more than 250 points of sale North America, including four company-owned stores in Mexico.”

What makes NaCo so special? Well, “Naco” is originally a derogative term used by upper and middle class Mexicans to describe things and people they felt were way beneath them in terms of hipness, taste and economic status. NaCo’s “Ser Naco Es Chido” tag line means “to be naco is cool.”

Phrases like “NA/CO” instead of AC/DC, “Los Bitles” for The Beatles,  or “Estar Guars” for Star Wars have been used in more than 300 designs using “spanglish” and iconic imagery, playing with double or triple sense words turning this “tacky”, uncool tees into a million dollar bussiness. They are planning the opening of several stores around Mexico and strengthen their distribution in USA.

NaCo is now a favorite of several latin american celebrities such as actor Diego Luna, who invested in the company, Juanes, who works with them in a humanitarian land-mine prevention program in Colombia, Gustavo Cerati, Gustavo Santaolalla, and the rock groups Café Tacuba, Molotov and Kinky who are provided with limited edition lines for tours and events. Even companies as Fox, Vans and Pepsi have joint forces with the mexican based company to make special products as the “Se Habla Español” t-shirt. They just signed a license agreement with the NBA.

Good things coming for these cool “nacos”.