Art, culture, and life: the woman behind Sin Amor Studio

If you have ever spent any time in the Las Vegas Arts District, the chances you have seen Ruby Romero are high. Her curly, dark hair, bright-colored lips and body full of tattoos are hard to miss.

Romero is a Las Vegas local of 30 years. Originally from Los Angeles, she grew up in Summerlin, attending Palo Verde High School, before moving to the east side of Las Vegas where she finished her education at Desert Pines.

After spending 13 years as a stylist, Romero has brought her love of fashion, culture and art to her beloved Arts District. Her Sin Amor Studio opened in November, encompassing everything she embodies. It’s “a cultural destination where art, fashion, and creativity collide,” Romero says.

The Review-Journal had the opportunity to sit down with Romero where we discussed her style inspirations, admiration of art and growing up in Las Vegas.

Ruby’s style pulls heavy influence from the music she listens to, her Mexican and American culture and the art she favors.

“I like to mix the two,” Romero says of both the traditional American style and the popular Mexican-American style of tattoos displayed on her body. “For me being American is very much a part of my culture. But I still have Mexican-American style tattoos.”

“They’re all Mexican butterflies,” she says of the artwork filling her legs.

Music also played a large part in helping Romero define her style. She would often spend summers in Long Beach with her aunt and uncle.

“ My uncle was a skateboarder and my aunt was super Goth. So my aunt was into Morrissey, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and really ’80s Goth music,” she said. “I feel like a lot of that was a heavy factor in my in my personal style. I also loved No Doubt growing up. I loved how Gwen Stefani was into Chicano culture at the time. And then in Vegas, my brother was in very big into the hardcore music scene and the rock music scene. He was in this band called Curl Up and Die and he and his friends would practice in our garage.”

Her love of different cultures was heightened when she began travelling the world. Meeting people in different countries led Ruby to meeting and bonding with more creatives.

“My favorite thing to do would be to go where they make local beer. Then I knew I would meet local people, and they would tell me about other cool places to go,” she explained.“I met a lot of incredible people just, like, drinking. Almost every artist I know, I met that way. Tons of artists that I have in this shop right now work in breweries in Belgium. It’s a great way to cross all different kinds of communities.”

The art carried in her shop carries reflects the different kinds of people Romero has met over the years, a large majority of which are Latino/minority artists and creatives.

Romero’s style is a mixture of all things she grew up with as well as new influences she has come to know more recently. It is through Sin Amor Studio that Romero can share her love of culture, art and fashion with the community. You can find Ruby at Sin Amor Studio, 1329 S. Commerce Street or catching up with friends around the Arts District.

Contact Glivell Piloto at gpiloto@reviewjournal.com.