Chicago love and immigrant work ethic propel truck driver turned fashion designer

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Emmanuel Cabrera’s designs hang on a rack in his Melrose Park studio like championship banners, each a celebration of his influences and accomplishments on the unlikely route from truck driver to fashion runway.

That’s because like Michael Jordan, one of his idols who famously said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed,” Cabrera knows what it’s like to take a shot and come up short.

He dropped out of high school as a junior to follow his father and grandfather driving trucks. He stopped driving full time by age 23. Then he lost money on doomed business ventures.

Rudderless, Cabrera left his hometown Melrose Park for the unfamiliar backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains and the East Coast in search of direction. He ended up living out of his car in New Orleans.

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It was in New Orleans where Cabrera had a phone call with his father that altered his life path, igniting a passion that he shaped into a career unthinkable in his days driving a truck. He drove back to Melrose Park, opened a truck supply shop and taught himself to sew.

Cabrera, 35, runs street wear and accessories brand Gente Fina, Spanish for fine people. The name honors the resilience and work ethic of Latino culture and immigrants like his parents.

“That’s who I am, that’s how I grew up living, seeing the struggle with my own eyes,” Cabrera said.

The brand, established in 2018, is inspired by work wear, western wear, Mexican tradition, hip-hop culture and Chicago, where Cabrera lives. He counts pro athletes and musical stars as customers.

The brand debuted last month at New York Fashion Week, a spot Cabrera earned by winning a fashion show competition last year in Durango, Mexico, his family native region. Cabrera said New York served as validation of his growth as a designer.

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“It was such a wonderful experience,” Cabrera said. “To see people in the game that have been doing it for decades come by and say, ‘This is amazing.’ It really showed that we got something special here and that I belong in those rooms.”

In New York, Cabrera presented pieces from his latest unisex collection, called “Identidad,” or identity, featuring his interpretations on western wear and work wear.

One of his models wore a women’s western-style suit belted above the waist with an oversized buckle. Another sported work overalls featuring a design by local artist Altair 2000. The word “migrante,” migrant, painted on one leg. On another, Jordan’s jersey and the letters “CHI” are painted on the leg of a pair of overalls.

Cabrera doesn’t like to waste fabric. He regularly turns throw-away scraps into new designs.

A tote bag by Cabrera is made with heavy-duty straps truck drivers use to tie down loads. The resulting bag is evocative of a traditional Mexican market place “bolsa,” bags made from woven poly mesh or nylon, but with a more premium feel.

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Cabrera is self- taught. He learned how to use a sewing machine about eight years ago watching YouTube videos.

He first stitched together tarps to cover truck cargo, which he sold at his truck supply business.

The conversation Cabrera had with his father while in New Orleans gave him the idea for the business, Midwest Cargo Equipment, which he still operates. Truckers asked him for custom tarps with unique designs, such as logos of Chicago sports teams.

Cabrera saw it as an opportunity to grow his business, so he started learning how to sew. He was hooked.

“I learned about the machines, learned about fabrics, and I just fell in love with sewing, and that’s kind of where the clothing stuff came from,” he said.

Cabrera, whose creative streak stretches back to high school, began sewing designs onto T-shirts and altering friends’ clothing. He then learned how to make jackets and other pieces, using himself as a model. It was one of those jackets, “Till Chicago Ends” emblazoned on the back, that got the attention of the Bulls.

In 2022, Cabrera uploaded a photo to social media featuring the Chicago-themed varsity jacket, asking followers to tag their favorite Bulls or Blackhawks players to enter a contest to win the piece.

The post got the attention of Bulls guard and Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu, who reached out to Cabrera about a custom jacket. Dosunmu wore the piece as he walked into the stadium for a game.

It was a big moment for Cabrera. For players, the walk from parking lot to locker room has become a kind of fashion runway, where they can flex their fit and flash their flair. Players like Russell Westbrook, Travis Kelce and James Harden have caused a stir on social media with their outfits.

“It’s like a runway show now, so to see your pieces that nobody else has, it just makes it a little more extra special,” Cabrera said. “It was definitely cool.”

He later partnered with the Bulls to make a special jacket released last year. Cabrera has also dressed Dosunmo’s teammate Andre Drummond, as well as NFL player Rashod Bateman and Mexican musicians Carin Leon and Grupo Frontera.

Cabrera is now tackling something he didn’t have when he was in his early 20s: success.

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“I’m having trouble keeping up with the demand,” Cabrera said at his newly opened design studio in Melrose Park.

Cabrera’s influences dominate his creative space. Walls are covered in works by local artists evoking traditional Mexican iconography like the Virgin Mary and “alacranes,” or scorpions, which are common in the arid Durango region.

Other corners feature images of Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and, of course, Michael Jordan.

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Cabrera, who also owns a truck washing business, attributes his work ethic to his parents. Both immigrated to the United States from Durango in the mid-'80s, settling in Melrose Park.

Dad worked as a truck driver while mom found employment at different factories in the area, at the same time taking care of Cabrera and his three siblings at home.

“That’s where I got it from, for sure. I like to say my dad is an animal. If I can have half of his work ethic, I’ll be fine,” Cabrera said. “To this day, he’s the kind of guy who’s up at 3 a.m., 4 a.m. when he doesn’t have to be.”

Cabrera holds on to the memories of his family’s humble beginnings. He fondly remembers traveling to Mexico to visit mom’s childhood home in a rural part of Durango. His dad grew up much closer to the city.

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Gente Fina is still a small-scale operation, made up of Cabrera, a photographer and accounting and marketing. The bulk of his online products are made in Mexico, His clothing is mainly available online but can also be found at Fullerton Avenue Streetwear Market, 3230 W. Fullerton, in Logan Square.

Cabrera believes 2024 will be a year of growth for himself and his brand. He recently became a father and will have to juggle fatherhood as he works on another Bulls collaboration, as well as one with the White Sox and headwear company Lids. All are expected to be released in the coming months.

“I’ll be learning more about the business and doing more fashion shows and just getting ahead,” Cabrera said. “I really appreciate the city of Chicago for the love.”