Neighborhood news happens thanks to member support.
Two entrepreneurs have teamed up for a clothing and print shop catering to the Latino community in West St. Paul. Marcela Vega and Abraham Marquez collaborated to create Calisota Boys Customs, which opened this summer at 1840 Oakdale Avenue.
What: They sell their own clothing line and help businesses and organizations with custom orders.
Community: “We are part of La Raza [the community] and we love to cater to our people’s needs,” said Marquez. “We are always looking for reasons to give back to our Hispanic community.”
- Marquez says not many print shops speak Spanish, so their bilingual approach can help ease any translation problems.
History: Vega previously ran Custom Works Apparel in a small office space on Robert Street, but took a break last year. She also ran Calisota at the Maplewood Mall, which sold Marquez’s Big Boy’s Inc. clothing brand.
- “We’ve been good business partners since the beginning of this year and decided why not team up and chase our dreams together?” said Marquez. “We both have a sense for fashion and fashion designing so why not open a print shop where we could do just that.”
- The new venture combines both names to create Calisota Boys Customs.
- “We moved back because we knew that there was a need here for for a print shop,” said Marquez.
We cover local news thanks to the support of our members. Join now to support our work.
