SAN ANTONIO – It’s a beanie business born by accident, and it’s now booming.
Dos Locos Designs, created by Mike Taylor and Fernando Llamas, takes old or tattered T-shirts and makes them into a one of-a-kind beanie.
"I was here one day with Fernando and he was wearing a beanie. I said, ‘Hey that's a really cool beanie, where did you get that?’ He said 'I made it.’ I said ‘You did not,’ and he pulled out a T-shirt and made one right in front of me, " Mike said.
The beanie was such a big hit, Mike and Fernando decided to start a beanie business. They sew each and every beanie in their workshop, and they have since been a big hit in the community.
"We can take your old favorite T-shirt, that has a hole on the side or you don't wear anymore, and it’s just sitting in your closet, and we turn that into a beanie that has meaning to you."
The beanies are made from 100 percent cotton T-shirts. They are stylish, breathable, comfortable, and one size fits all.
"A lot of people think that it won’t fit them because the T-shirt is either too big or too small. But our design fits every head, no matter what size, every time," Mike said.
The designs range from floral prints, fiesta, and even favorite sports teams. It doesn’t matter what is on the shirt, they find a way to showcase it on the beanie.
But now Dos Locos Designs wants to give back to the community that has embraced their business. They are looking for T-shirt donations so they can make beanies to donate to cancer patients. Mike actually came up with the idea when his best friend’s mother, Georgann Kucher, was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.
"She had ovarian and breast cancer. She saw us making the hats and said those would be really good for cancer victims. We never thought about it before, and said you know what that's a really good idea, " Mike said.
Their goal is to get 100 T-shirts donated and have them sewn and ready to hand out to cancer patients by October.
"Those will go back to cancer victims, because we feel we really have to give back, " Fernando said.
For more information on how to donate your t-shirts to the cause, visit their Facebook page, Dos Locos Designs. Or you can email them atdoslocosdesigns@gmail.com.