Maker of bulletpoof clothing expands to Miami

Firm aims to blend style and protection

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — Miguel Caballero aimed his .38 caliber pistol, took a deep breath, and shot his wife — as gently as possible.

He wasn’t happy about shooting the mother of his children for the second time in nine years. But when you’re a purveyor of highfashion bulletproof clothing trying to break into the biggest market in the hemisphere — the United States — you have to take a few risks.

Caballero’s clothing line is based in Colombia, marketed under the name MC Armor in the U.S. and newly available in Miami. It’s both stylish and effective enough to stop a bullet. But it’s Caballero’s showmanship — the 49-year-old has shot more than 230 volunteers — that has made him something of a CEO celebrity in Latin America.

Three months ago, the 25-year-old company set up a distribution center in Miami to provide its bulletproof sports coats, safari jackets and T-shirts to the United States. And heading that project is Carolina Ballesteros, Caballero’s wife — and target.

“I swore to myself I would never do that again,” Caballero said, after he had pumped a shot at her stomach to make a promotional video for social media. “But she’s trying to open up the American market, and I’m helping her in every way I can.”

Caballero dug the bullet out from the vest’s multiple layers. As always, it had mushroomed into a harmless lead curio.

The company’s flagship product is a patented lightweight and flexible bulletproof tank top that can be worn discreetly under regular clothes. The shirt comes with different levels of protection, but the most basic model weighs about 2.4 pounds and is rated to stop .38-caliber, .22-caliber and 9-millimeter bullets. It has a starting price of $495.

Ballesteros, who’s splitting her time between Colombia and the United States, said she’s been impressed at how receptive U.S. buyers have been.

“We’ve been selling at gun stores, to Uber drivers, to doctors, lawyers, professors,” she said.

Josh Anderson is the manager of Miami’s Johnson Firearms, which carries MC Armor. The tank-tops, in particular, have been popular.

“The beautiful thing is that it’s appealing to higher-end clientele. It’s something that will give them protection but not look like they’re wearing a vest,” he said. “You can walk around Wynwood at night and not worry about somebody popping you.”