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José Alfredo Gómez can turn any fabric into an elegant dress. He discovered his talent shortly before turning 18 in his native El Salvador, and since then has made a living in Central America, Los Angeles, and now New Bedford.
At the beginning of the interview, he proudly shows us his studio and declares:
“This is my place to give birth to ideas,” he says as he roams his studio that features sketchbooks, pencils, his sewing machine … and Barbie dolls.
Alfredo Gómez uses dolls because it’s easier to make the changes that his clients request. When there is nothing left to change, he proceeds to create the dress in full size.
“It’s my passion. It’s what I learned and I embrace it with joy every day,” he says.
He says that upon arriving in New Bedford he became known for making dresses for his nieces and became involved in a school project where he dressed 24 Barbie dolls to represent the traditional costumes of 24 countries. The play was so successful that they practically gave away all the dolls. “I only kept one because she had a broken leg,” he recalled.
Email Gerardo Beltrán Salinas at gerardo@newbedfordlight.org
where can we reach this tailor? Does he take on Clients who want something made?