AMPLIFY NASHVILLE HONOREES

An immigrant from Mexico, Manuel Cuevas is a fashion designer who has handmade a legacy in American music and whose singular style has earned him the singular name “Manuel.”

Manuel’s custom designs featuring hand-stitched detail and rhinestones are individually made to serve and honor each musical artist he works with. He is the man who put Elvis in a jumpsuit and made Johnny Cash the man in black, and he has worked with everyone from Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton and Dwight Yoakam.

Manuel’s fascination with fashion began as a child learning the craft from his brother and working as a tailor in his hometown of Coalcoman, Mexico making prom dresses for the women in his family. His skill led him to relocate to Los Angeles in the ’60s to work for Nudie’s famed western store before striking out on his own in the ’70s and moving to Nashville in 1988.

In Nashville, Manuel further cemented his legacy as he became an integral part of the community. It was here that he created his gift back to the United States: a one-of-a-kind collection of jackets, one for each state, that debuted at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Today, he continues to design daily and train the next generation in his craft.

Manuel has won awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Country Music Association for his designs that have shaped the culture of Nashville and the direction of fashion in country and rock n roll music. Nashville is enriched by his passion, creativity, and dedication to his craft, marking him as this year’s Culture Shaper honoree.