13 September 4–10, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents These days, you can enjoy an on-trend horchata bobaccino and attend a sound bath meditation, but you can also get a perm at Marcia’s and stock up on calf developer at Roach Feed & Seed — just like back in the days of Garland’s humble beginnings. Perhaps one of the coolest additions to downtown Garland, though, falls somewhere in between those two ends of the retail spectrum. “I don’t sell online, and most of my suc- cess is due to word of mouth,” says Made Here owner Priscilla Barroso. The designer and newly minted Garland resident opened the doors of her custom tai- lor shop at 604 Main Street in June 2024, citing an affinity for the emerging area. “My son is five now, and having an ice cream shop next door and a playground across the street made it easy to choose downtown Garland over anywhere else,” she explains. Now, just over a year into business, things are going nice and slow at Made Here. And Barroso wouldn’t have it any other way. “This is slow fashion, taking it back to older times,” she says. Inspired by her first job out of college at custom clothier Al’s Attire in San Francisco, Barroso’s shop also reflects the entirety of her career in fashion so far: from marketing her own apparel line to private label fabrica- tion to a telegenic turn on NBC’s Fashion Star reality show. Throughout it all, her mis- sion has remained the same. “Bringing clothing manufacturing back to the USA is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” she explains. “Opening Made Here was a way for me to help in the industry, and touch on all the things I do well, but at the same time slow it down a bit.” On a typical day, you may have to sidestep Satchmo, Barroso’s shop bunny. And, with sewing machines humming in the back- ground, racks of refurbished vintage sepa- rates and denim, as well as crisp new chore coats and work shirts, the shop will pull your focus in every direction. Exposed brick, retro ephemera and canvas dress forms add to the sepia-toned atmosphere of a mid-cen- tury movie set. It all whispers, “This is where the magic happens.” By “magic,” we refer to the fading arts of hand-tailoring, leather repair, embroidering and from-scratch custom clothing. In addi- tion, Barroso and her team are knee-deep in locally sourced vintage military surplus. The made-to-last patches, pockets, cuffs and cloth, dating back as far as World War II, are repurposed in myriad ways for soldiers’ grand- and great-grandkids. So far, Barroso’s eye for retail, customer ser- vice skills, social media presence and design expertise have attracted a steady stream of cli- ents, including more than a few notable names. Recent brushes with celebrity include tailoring Riley Green’s look for the 2025 CMA Awards and tackling production for Atlético Dallas. Barroso also teases that a hush-hush Hollywood project is in the works. In the long term, Barroso hopes to spark a movement or at least encourage kids like hers to dress more locally and authentically in decades to come. “I really think the future of retail isn’t about buying labels, it’s about making your own,” she says. “It makes investing in the dream ever more tangible.” CELEBRATING SEVENTEEN YEARS OF COMMUNITY GIVING Did you know the largest community-wide giving event in the Nation happens right here in Texas? Communities Foundation of Texas is proud to announce our 17th annual North Texas Giving Day™, culminating on September 18, 2025. Last year, we raised over $70 million, benefitting 3,200+ local nonprofits. Visit NorthTexasGivingDay.org to find, fund, and learn about supporting our North Texas nonprofits. D INTERESTED CANDIDATES PLEASE SEND YOUR COVER LETTER AND RESUME TO [email protected]
