((PKG)) THE CLOTHIER
((TRT: 04:37))
((Topic Banner: Rhinestone Rembrandt))
((Reporter: Marsha James))
((Camera/Editor: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Nashville, Tennessee))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I'm just a simple old guy. I don't have the so-called American
dream or the Mexican dream or the Russian dream. I kind of
like what happened to me. I decided since I was 12 years old
that I would make dresses for young ladies. That's kind of
the start of a real tailoring career.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
My name is Manuel Cuevas and I am the king of sewing.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
This little town where I was born, Coalcoman, Michoacan in
Mexico, I was born a very alert child and I had a lot of
retention for everything that surrounded me or things that I
talked about. My mom, my dad, my brothers and sisters
would be talking and I would be catching up with the news,
whatever they were talking about. When I was seven, I had
already jumped to 3rd grade, 4th grade, I think.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I had kind of a feeling that they weren’t as advanced as I
was and that was kind of my big secret.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I never had needs of any kind.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Well, my parents took care of my needs. And then I took
care of my needs when I was eight-and-a-half years old. I
wish that all the kids had parents like mine.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I grew up believing in two books. One was The Iliad and the
other was The Odyssey of Homer. I reconciled with his
stories so much that I thought if a blind man could write this,
then I can be better than him.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Oh, I love life. Standing up in front of my brother who's
playing with tailoring and I said, “How is that pant-making
business doing?” And he looked at me, “It’ll be doing so well
if you just stop looking pretty standing in front of me. Get on
one sewing machine and help me.” I never felt so much a
challenge, you know. I said, “Why don't I?” So, I sat down
sewing pants. My God, I'm still sitting on that machine today.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text over video: Manuel moved to the United States in
1952.))
((Courtesy: AP))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I had a beautiful girlfriend, forced me almost to go to the
Pasadena Rose Parade. I saw the parade and I fell in love
with it. People’s dress up. You know, the way they
flamboyance the thing, I said, “I can do better than that.”
To this day actually, I started dressing all the singers, the
models, the governors, mayors, the presidents of this
country. You're fashionably dressed when you're a
soldier. It’s the uniform.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Whether it's poor or it’s rich or it’s the best, that’s your
style. And to me, that's what I put in people. I put style in
them. I love the French people because they dress first and
they eat later. I mean, come on. I love that. That's the style.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Make them different. So, my suits are different. All my shirts
are different. People say, “Well, how is that possible?” Well,
it is. I mean, we're all different anyway.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I'm just a regular human being walking around with a fool’s
flag. To me, God created a most perfect world where
everybody, all of us, are different.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
All my suits are different.
You know, you got to get to the mountain. The mountain is
never going to get to you. Some of my students, really
with the greatest ambition of becoming designers say, “How
do you get to a place like where you are?” I said, “Well, with
the same ruler that you measure your dream, measure your
working hours. Maybe that will take you somewhere.”
((NATS/MUSIC))
((TRT: 04:37))
((Topic Banner: Rhinestone Rembrandt))
((Reporter: Marsha James))
((Camera/Editor: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Nashville, Tennessee))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I'm just a simple old guy. I don't have the so-called American
dream or the Mexican dream or the Russian dream. I kind of
like what happened to me. I decided since I was 12 years old
that I would make dresses for young ladies. That's kind of
the start of a real tailoring career.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
My name is Manuel Cuevas and I am the king of sewing.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
This little town where I was born, Coalcoman, Michoacan in
Mexico, I was born a very alert child and I had a lot of
retention for everything that surrounded me or things that I
talked about. My mom, my dad, my brothers and sisters
would be talking and I would be catching up with the news,
whatever they were talking about. When I was seven, I had
already jumped to 3rd grade, 4th grade, I think.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I had kind of a feeling that they weren’t as advanced as I
was and that was kind of my big secret.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I never had needs of any kind.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Well, my parents took care of my needs. And then I took
care of my needs when I was eight-and-a-half years old. I
wish that all the kids had parents like mine.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I grew up believing in two books. One was The Iliad and the
other was The Odyssey of Homer. I reconciled with his
stories so much that I thought if a blind man could write this,
then I can be better than him.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Oh, I love life. Standing up in front of my brother who's
playing with tailoring and I said, “How is that pant-making
business doing?” And he looked at me, “It’ll be doing so well
if you just stop looking pretty standing in front of me. Get on
one sewing machine and help me.” I never felt so much a
challenge, you know. I said, “Why don't I?” So, I sat down
sewing pants. My God, I'm still sitting on that machine today.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text over video: Manuel moved to the United States in
1952.))
((Courtesy: AP))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I had a beautiful girlfriend, forced me almost to go to the
Pasadena Rose Parade. I saw the parade and I fell in love
with it. People’s dress up. You know, the way they
flamboyance the thing, I said, “I can do better than that.”
To this day actually, I started dressing all the singers, the
models, the governors, mayors, the presidents of this
country. You're fashionably dressed when you're a
soldier. It’s the uniform.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Whether it's poor or it’s rich or it’s the best, that’s your
style. And to me, that's what I put in people. I put style in
them. I love the French people because they dress first and
they eat later. I mean, come on. I love that. That's the style.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
Make them different. So, my suits are different. All my shirts
are different. People say, “Well, how is that possible?” Well,
it is. I mean, we're all different anyway.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
I'm just a regular human being walking around with a fool’s
flag. To me, God created a most perfect world where
everybody, all of us, are different.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Manuel Cuevas, Fashion Designer))
All my suits are different.
You know, you got to get to the mountain. The mountain is
never going to get to you. Some of my students, really
with the greatest ambition of becoming designers say, “How
do you get to a place like where you are?” I said, “Well, with
the same ruler that you measure your dream, measure your
working hours. Maybe that will take you somewhere.”
((NATS/MUSIC))
