Holiday Shoppers Get A Custom Twist On Clothes Thanks To Local Artists
DENVER (CBS4)- Holiday shoppers are turning over their just-made purchases to be transformed into one-of-a-kind art. Express at the Cherry Creek mall is collaborating with local artists to make it happen and it is only in Denver.
"It's crazy if you think about express they have 700 stores nationwide and they launched this at one store," artist Pat Milbery said.
Kendra Lyons knew exactly what jacket she was looking for when she walked in to the mall. She had an even better idea what she wanted spray painted on the back of that jacket before it left the store.
"It came out perfect… better than I could imagine," she said.
Milbery and his So-Gnar team have been brightening the streets of Denver for years in fact you have probably seen their work from Denver's 'Love This City' campaign.
"We work very on a lot of large scale levels but we love working small, large it doesn't really matter," he said
Now they have teamed up with Express clothing store to give shoppers a one of a kind experience. They spend hours, every weekend turning clothing into art.
"It's different than just getting like a piece of art or poster a print, it's just more spontaneous which I think this generation is more aligned with," Milbery said.
Fellow Artist Lee New says by the time it leaves the store, every item is unique and created the same day, sometimes within minutes.
"Sometimes they come in and they know exactly what they want. The woman he was with, she wanted a pigeon. Bam! That was it. He was a little bit tough because he didn't know what he wanted," New said.
The idea might sound a bit nerve racking but Milbery says it comes down to trust and customers like Lyons are on board.
"They are here for a reason and they are creative people I would trust anything with people who have that kind of a mind." Lyons said.
Christmas weekend is the artists' final appearance, personalization is only available for items purchased at Express Cherry Creek store on that day.
Karen Morfitt joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around the Denver metro area. Connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.