ART MEETS FASHION AT ELTON’S MEN’S STORE IN LAS VEGAS

If anyone knows how to create a little excitement at retail, it’s LT Salinas of Elton’s Men’s Store at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. His latest idea: bringing in highly acclaimed contemporary artist Pete Castro to hand-paint vintage leather motorcycle jackets and turn them into unique works of art.

Castro lives in Vegas, although he grew up in New York City. “My mom would take me to Coney Island and I fell in love with the graffiti. So I started painting,” he recalls. “I eventually followed my sister to Las Vegas and at age 27, I quit my security job and saved enough money to open a little shop to sell my paintings. I was lucky enough to be picked up by a gallery in NYC and that brought me some celebrity clients including Boys II Men, TJ Lavin and David Arquette. My paintings now sell at around $3,000.”

It’s no wonder the jackets seem like a bargain at $2,495 in both men’s and women’s styles (“$2,400 for Pete, $95 for me,” quips LT.) “But seriously, I think a concept like this is a great way for retailers to offer something special, something not available on Amazon. I introduced Pete to [famed Memphis clothier] Hal Lansky and he’s now working on a few Elvis renderings.”

For more info on Pete Castro, check out his website: CastroArt.VEGAS or contact him at CastroArtLasVegas@gmail.com.