photo by Brooks Alley (@brooks_alley_film)
“I’ve seen so many people fall into this trap where they open a storefront, they stock it — and it’s beautiful when they first open. It’s stocked based on years of accumulation and curation but then, as they grow, they just can’t keep up. So they bring in a modern brand, or two modern brands, or candles. Then a year later, they have inventory issues. They’re having to pay wholesale prices for new stock and the careful curation they once had is totally gone. It’s just so far away from where they’ve started. It seems like they kind of lost their way or lost their vision in trying to keep it a profitable business.”
These words, said to me via Zoom by the owner of Sharp Man Vintage, Johnny Hugel have been echoed, in one way or another, by every veteran vintage shop owner I’ve spoken with over the course of my career.
The truth is: everybody wants a store until they have a store.
He sat back and paused for a moment, his tone slightly more solemn, “... I realized that there's so many other things that come along with running a business. If you put on top of everything else: having a space, the upkeep, the overhead, having employees– all the things that go along with a successful retail experience, it just feels pretty unsustainable. I have a 9-5, I have a family, I have other things that are very important to me and require a great deal of my attention. It’s hard to devote the time necessary… I mean, If your building floods, if there’s a break in, you’re on the hook for rent. Those are constraints and risks that I just don’t have the time to consider. I need it nimble enough to fit into my life.”
Hugel continued, “The reason I'm most intrigued by [vintage selling] and the reason I find it most fulfilling is in finding the perfect piece and connecting it with the perfect new home. I get to see things gain a new life.”
Hugel started Sharp Man Vintage in 2011. The name, he says, was inspired by a huge men’s wear trend of the time. He explained, “...When I started, there was this certain #menswear style that was very popular. It was this resurgence of more formal menswear — guys wearing wingtips and selvedge denim... but really, what was most important to me is that the garments were well-crafted and well-made, constructed using heritage methods that you just can’t find anymore. I’ve always been someone who is looking at thrift stores and estate sales for myself, picking up stuff that didn’t fit me or wasn’t quite right or I didn’t need, but I figured someone else could use it. So I amassed this pile of things I really liked but didn’t need.”
It was after he collected this hoard of vintage treasures that he started doing pop-ups — outside of his friend’s store or outside coffee shops, just for fun at first but eventually Sharp Man grew and grew.
“Richmond has always been a super collaborative, super supportive city– I think there’s something in the water that encourages people to go out and do their own thing.”
Even from the beginning, Hugel says there were lots of great people out there making it happen — it was an environment where it just made sense to collaborate. Whether it be with his long time friend, Alan Long of Homme Shop or newer collaborators like Ashley Patino over at Pizza Bones, Hugel stresses that the best way to grow a vintage business is by fostering connections with like-minded people in your community.
“As my family grew alongside my shop, my habits got worse. So now I shop for women’s wear and children’s stuff which has only made the collection grow and grow here in the basement…
… I love the hunt. For me, it’s a bit of an addiction. It’s the thrill of chasing after the perfect thing. I don’t really have sources, or buyers, or a certain place I go every time. I just go out and hunt. Every day could be different. Today, [the style of the store] speaks to a much wider range of people. I try to have interesting, unique pieces that could be for everyone with a wide array of sizes for different body types. I love when someone picks up a piece and styles it in a way that I never would have imagined.”
I was curious, after being in the vintage game for so long, what advice did Hugel have for those looking to make a career out of high-end reselling.
Here’s what he said:
“Maintaining your own site where you have full control and full ownership — where you have everyone’s email addresses and greater control of not only the revenue from the sale but also of the shopping experience as a whole is the most important. It’s something that I suggest to anyone getting started. You can join another site to really get yourself out there but if you want to distinguish yourself and make your own place, you need to develop your own site.”
As a vintage seller myself, it’s inspiring to scroll through Sharp Man’s stock on their website. Johnny Hugel has such a keen eye for cool clothes — and he’s been able to curate a collection that feels so specific to a certain genre of style (Ironic cool guy who loves old cameras), without feeling like he’s pandering to whatever sells the best. You can tell, as a customer thumbing through his stock, that he has a genuine love for fashion and style. Even after all these years, he’s still not jaded.
For more information on Sharp Man Vintage and any upcoming events, follow Johnny on Instagram @sharpmanvintage or visit his website, www.johnnyhugel.com
Comentarios