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Josefina Kavaloski

Josefina Kavaloski - 1918-2017

(Born 19 Mar 1918 in Cadereyta, Jiménez, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Maiden name: Josefina Alvarado Almaguer) passed away on 19, Mar 2017 at the age of 99 years old in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Josefina was an artist and renown fashion designer to Latin socialites and movie stars in Mexico and Hollywood.   

She began her career as a dress designer as a young woman in her hometown of Cadereyta. She was hand picked by a client to make custom designed dresses for a business around the block.  They employed women and sought a touch of class in their establishment. The income helped her raise her daughter Annunzziata (now Elisa Annunciata Rasmussen) on her own.  Her turbulent and short-lived marriage to Pancho Vitela, a world champion wrestler had been annulled with her father’s blessing.  Unfortunately, the marriage was erased so quickly; Josefina was not aware that she was with child.   

Her design income also assisted her family during hardships. She kept her eye on the dream of becoming a respected dress designer. Her family had to move to Monterrey, Mexico to be near her brother Manuel while he studied at the university. Josefina found a job as a designer for a factory specializing in men’s shirts called “Perfecto”. She was the only designer.  

During World War II, Mexico fell into financial disaster. On April 20, 1943, US President Theodore Roosevelt asked Mexico’s president Camacho to actively participate in the war. At first, Camacho would not commit but by November 13 President Camacho agreed to join the allies under the condition that that its forces serve under Mexican command in a defined sector. Shortly after, Mexico’s government took over the Perfecto factory. Josefina was ordered to design the uniforms for the women’s Mexican Army. The factory had about 40-45 seamstresses to help complete the project. Josefina credits Franklin D. Roosevelt for keeping her family fed.  

Josefina’s younger brother, Bernardo Alvarado Almaguer aka “Nayo” saw her talent for design. Nayo worked in an orchestra for a nightclub called Ciro’s in Monterrey and also Ciro’s in Mexico City. He told her, if you want to amount to anything as a designer you need to move to Mexico City. He helped her start a couture dress design shop in Mexico City introducing her to the Latin community of movie stars, wealthy and political figures.  Later, Josefina was introduced through a mutual friend to Armando Del Moral an editor and writer for Cine-Grafica Magazine.  In 1952, she married her Polish American pen pal, Joseph Kavaloski and moved to Los Angeles County, California where she became known as the preeminent couture and wedding dress designer to the Hollywood Stars with a Latin connection.