Small Business Spotlight: The Retro Collection

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Consumers interested in streetwear and sneakers found the store they went to at the fashion show.

The retro collection next to Forever 21 opened during the pandemic.

Owning a store became Rick Salinas’ goal after spending time helping his father with his own business.

“When I was a kid, my brother and I used to go with him to get help and that’s where we started,” Salinas said. “When we were eight or nine years old, we built our own booths and furniture.”

Traveling in California – Salinas and his brother help their father sell shirts at swing meets.

It was his father’s love and work ethic that inspired Rick to dream big.

“It challenged us to create our own things, so that’s when we started designing,” Salinas recalls.

Now he has an entire shop full of his own designs on fashion shows.

“Our goal was to bring something very unique to Fresno,” Salinas said.

“There’s nothing like this here in Fresno,” said customer Chris Blair. “You have to go to the Bay Area or the LA area to find something like this. So to have something like this in Fresno is huge.”

Retro Collection offers street wear like vintage shirts and hats.

“It’s nice to walk around town and see our shirts on people or on hats,” said employee Martina Ebnersignetti.

An entire wall showcases the hottest kicks from Nike, Air Jordan and adidas Yeezy – some styles that are hard to find in stores or online.

“It’s hard to find some things, especially if they’re discontinued or not doing anything right now. It’s hard, but that’s how we come into play. If we can get our hands on it, we’ll definitely put it in the store,” explained Roy Salinas, the store’s wholesale buyer.

Retro Collection brings together sneakerheads from across the state who are interested in selling or trading their shoes.

Fresno State’s Jalen Cropper and boxer Mark Castro rock The Retro Collection, where you can meet local athletes that have helped get the store’s name out to a wider audience.

“They came in asking for all those things, and we were like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s what Jalen Copper is wearing.’ That’s what Mark was,” manager Fernando Quintero said.

In two years, the store has improved and employees say it’s because of the community’s support, which is why the business strives to give back to local schools and charities.

Looking ahead to the new year, the staff are excited for what’s to come – they say it’s just the beginning for the Retro Collection.