Former dancer makes folklórico dresses
When professional folklórico dancer Nina Pimentel
couldn’t find a suitable seamstress to make her dance attire, she
decided to take matters into her own hands.
Nina, who owns México Típico Costumes and More with
her husband Jorge Pimentel, began making folklórico dresses while
attending college in her native Mexico.
“I attended Universidad de Yucatán, where I studied
dance. You have to sew your own costume to finish the program,” she
said.
Nina
and Jorge met decades ago in Mexico, but when they reunited in 1990, it
was in San Antonio, where Jorge owned a dance studio. Nina began
teaching classes with Jorge, and decided to sew her students’ costumes.
“Then I started getting orders in and that’s how I
started México Típico Costumes and More,” Nina said.
She soon began to build up her clientele and now
makes costumes for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio Parks
and Recreation and other dance groups throughout the nation that are as
far away as Washington.
Although the dance studio closed and now the couple
has other full-time jobs, the costume business is still thriving out of
the couple’s garage.
“When business is good, our whole house is filled
with costumes everywhere,” Nina said. “Depending on the economy, I sell
100 to 200 costumes yearly.”
If she is unable to make a dress, she says she will
order them from an outside company. The average cost for a dress ranges
from $150 to $250. This includes the dress and all the accessories,
including earrings, the necklace and the hairpiece. It takes about 12
hours to complete a dress.
México Típico and More’s annual revenue is $28,000,
and although the figure is low, Nina said the store will stay in
business because “les gusta la cultura.”
She also expects the business to grow soon. The
couple recently applied for a small business loan from Acción Texas, and
is waiting for an answer. If approved, they hope to build a new dance
studio and a space for the costume store next door.
In the mean time, customers can order costumes
through their Web site mexicotipicocostumes.com.
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