Jorge Torres believes in the power of manifestation. The creator of Real Street Jams, a brand that celebrates urban culture, used to imagine himself holding the keys to his new vintage shop and reaching for the lock. In August, that vision came true.
The blue-brick store on Commerce Street in Deep Ellum now houses racks of vintage clothing, thrift-shop finds, sneakers and nostalgic plush toys from his collection and other local vendors.
Torres, also known as “Qreus” (pronounced “Curious”), mainly sold his wares online and at pop-up events before opening the store. He says his ability to take over the lease to the space was thanks to the law of attraction, a spiritual belief that positive thoughts lead to positive experiences.
“The way you feel and the way you talk and think — that’s what becomes real,” Torres says. “I think that’s what happened here.”
In 2009, Torres began hosting events under the name Real Street Jams for underground communities. He recalls driving past a graffitied warehouse near downtown Dallas and imagining throwing a big event there. Soon after, he stumbled across an ad to rent an event space. “I called, and it was that warehouse,” he says. “It was so random.”
Torres would invite break-dancers, skateboarders, BMX bikers, graffiti artists and punk musicians to packed warehouse events for competitions and jams. One of his Real Street Jams events in 2018 drew about 10,000 people to Klyde Warren Park, he says, with dance battles, vendors, skaters and video games. Now, he has gone from hosting vintage markets to running his own store. And his drive to think big hasn’t worn off.
His original goal of bringing together different cultures has flourished into a business he’d like to expand. His “for the culture, by the culture” mentality and work in underground scenes have inspired him to continue hosting yearly festival-like events reminiscent of the warehouse days.
“I think the city deserves this,” Torres says.
Details
Real Street Jams is at 2923 Commerce St., Suite 103, in Dallas. For more information, visit realstreetjams.com.
