A Durango denim merchant is featured in March’s edition of Playboy magazine. In a six-page story about Brit Eaton, owner of Carpe Denim and jean hook-up to the stars, Mickey Rapkin, the author, describes a four-day road trip with Eaton in search of vintage denim that ended with a $20,000 find in Wyoming.
Highlights include a “reluctant” visit to a strip club where Eaton got a lap dance from a Sioux woman named Dawn, and Eaton recalling a time when he nearly dismembered himself after bear repellent came into contact with his genitalia while searching for jeans down a mine shaft.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Eaton, who sells his finds to major fashion houses, collectors and Hollywood, said he was thrilled by the publicity.
“ABC’s Nightline wants to do a big story on me,” he said.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve gotten a lot of interesting press inquiries over the years. When Playboy called me about doing an article on me, I started laughing – because you think nobody reads the articles,” he said.
He said, “It’s the first Playboy I ever bought.”
Asked how many copies he purchased, he laughed.
“I probably have a few of them on hand. But they were hard to get. They sold out in Durango. I had to get friends to get them for me.”
No doubt, the issue’s local sales reflect Durango residents’ commitment to supporting local businesses, Eaton said.
“After all, if they want to look at naked girls, they can go on the Internet. They’re genuinely reading it for the article.”
cmcallister@durangoherald.com
