Norfolk native Doug Nicholson, 27, began his vintage clothing obsession as a young child, frequenting thrift stores with his grandmother, Mildred Johnson. Fueled by a nearby thrift shop during his middle school years, Nicholson says his love of vintage developed over time. Out of that passion, In Mind vintage menswear was born and Nicholson started selling his items out of his Norfolk apartment in 2011. Today, you can find his vintage graphic T-shirts and button-ups in the loft inside Rosewood Clothing Co. at 16 W. Broad St.
Norfolk native Doug Nicholson's vintage menswear collection, In Mind, is available at Rosewood's through the end of August. (Photo courtesy In Mind Vintage)
In Mind apparel can be found in the store temporarily and may become permanent, contingent upon popularity and sales of items. Already selling out of With Lavender and Lace in Norfolk, he met Rosewood owner Ashley Carruthers during the Well Worn Market, a pop-up vintage and handmade goods event, held this past November at the Hippodrome Theater. Carruthers was in the process of opening her shop (which opened in Dec. 2014) and a few months later reached out to Nicholson and offered to let him sell out of her store. “He has a great eye,” says Carruthers. “The first time we sat down after Well Worn, it was definitely nice to speak with him and he’s such a sweetheart. His collection is fantastic, he really knows what he’s got … he is this wealth of [vintage] knowledge and he definitely expresses it throughout his collection.”
The menswear collection is comprised of T-shirts, coats, jackets, shoes, ties and a small selection of housewares, all at least 20 years old. Nicholson says there is a great market for vintage items in the Richmond area and notes that the Virginia Commonwealth University pieces he put for sale inside Rosewood were purchased almost immediately. There are also fun vintage shirts and hats featuring professional sports teams, bands from the ‘80s and early ‘90s, and other pop culture references. Don’t wait to purchase one though; most of these items are the only one of their kind in stock so when it sells, it’s gone.
While Nicholson is also a freelance audio/visual technician, he has been focusing more on turning his company into a full-time gig. “It’s something I want to grow and develop not only online but as a brick and mortar as well,” says Nicholson. He hopes to gain more exposure by selling out of stores in Richmond and Norfolk, eventually leading to a store of his own.
Carruthers says while her store is mostly focused on women’s apparel, she’s hopeful that the menswear will do well as word of mouth circulates. “He has a lot of really fantastic T-shirts for collectors so that sort of [customer] is his target,” she says. “Every once in a while I have other contributors upstairs … we’re able to gage what people are looking for and determine what to sell. If [sales] go well, it stays.”
You can check out In Mind vintage menswear at Rosewood Clothing Co. through the end of August and by visiting inmind.co.
