Taller Peralta: Fashions From Inwood Artist M. Tony Peralta Represent Latin Culture With A New York Twist
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Uptown artist M. Tony Peralta found his calling through his heritage.
"Once I started creating work that represented my culture, I figured out that this is my purpose in life," he said.
Raised in Washington Heights by parents from the Dominican Republic, Tony eventually moved to Inwood, where he opened Taller Peralta, named using the Spanish word for "workshop."
The compact studio-storefront hybrid is a physical manifestation of his label the Peralta Project. Here, Tony's designs are made to order. Clothes and gifts are emblazoned with graphics of cultural significance.
"The Peralta Project is a New York-centric Latino lifestyle brand," he said. "We have a mug here that says, 'Se habla Spanglish.' For instance, for me, being a Dominican American, I don't speak perfect Spanish, but I speak perfect Spanglish."
A baseball hat reimagines the New York Yankees logo using the Spanish eñe.
A shirt bearing the word "Latino" incorporates an afro pick.
"It's important for people to know that there's Black people in Latin America," he said.
For him, the brand is about pride and representation. He aims to reflect the broad spectrum of what it means to be Latin American in New York.
"I created clothing that didn't exist," he said.
Taller Peralta
2 Henshaw St
New York, NY 10034
(917) 261-6833
https://peraltaproject.com/
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