I met Solomon Russell of vintage store Left Hand Twill a few years ago in NYC. Our insta friendship blossomed over a shared passion for vintage denim and we bonded across the globe. Meeting Solomon in real life was even better than i imagined, he is humble, kind natured and most of all passionate about what he does. Solomon started his store Left Hand Twill way back in 2016, creating pop up shops around his local community in Colorado springs & Denver, he quickly expanded to vintage markets in NYC, Nashville & soon LA’s finest Rosebowl flea market. His forte lies in a carefully curated selection of 70’s 80’s 90’s Items ranging from dungarees, 80’s dresses, western waistcoats, dead-stock cargo denims, vintage Wranglers, Lee jeans, Levis and studded denim pencil skirts. He has a fine collection of denim Disney clothing from the 80’s & 90’s one of which i was lucky enough to snap up for my next trip to disney!

NAME: Solomon

OCCUPATION: Owner of LHT

LOCATION: Currently Colorado Springs, Co

IG HANDLE: Left Hand Twill

WEBSITE: Lhtdenim

Q: Who is Solomon Russell?

A: I grew up in Denver, Co. I’m the second oldest of my three siblings; growing up was typical for us like all kids at the time. During the summer we’d play basketball outside all day, write rap songs and record them in my boys basement and try to get home before sundown. A year after I graduated high school I moved to New York to study film at Brooklyn College but dropped out. At the time for me personally it felt like if I wanted to stay in the city I needed to work full time and I couldn’t do both. So I worked full time and continued to pursue my musical interests.

Q: Tell us, have you always been into clothing and fashion?

A: Yes, when I was a kid we use to do our back to school shopping at local thrift stores. I hated it back then because my clothes weren’t new like the kids I was going to school with but I knew how to piece together an outfit. Until I got into high school and had a little bit of money, I was buying Timberlands, Wu-Wear, Karl Kani, Dickies, I was dressing based off of the musical artist I was listening to.

Q: How did you first get into buying / selling vintage clothing?

A: I always had the entrepreneurial spirit, and I usually have the same revolving ideas in my head. Opening up a vintage denim store was one of them. It wasn’t until I moved from New York back to Colorado in 2014 it made sense to start collecting seriously and creating a strong brand to sell behind. When I left New York I was pretty depressed for a good year but once I found the passion of denim and learned more about it, I was able to shake the way I was feeling and hone in on something that I loved doing. It’s been about a six year process but about three years of real pursuing.

Q: What advice would you give to someone starting out on a similar journey?

A: Everyone starts somewhere, learn as much as you possibly can and never stop learning. Focus on what’s best for you and whatever brand it is you’re trying to build. Jump in, make mistakes and learn for them but never stop!

Q: What would you tell your younger self?

A: This is a deep question lol. I would tell my younger self don’t be discouraged by how people may perceive, or view me in a negative connotation based solely on my looks without getting to know me. My younger self should know that no matter what a school teacher, a parent or any adult may say to you to make yourself feel any less about your self-esteem or confidence isn’t true. When you’re young and have people telling you that you won’t amount to anything, that you’re dumb or your goals aren’t realistic, you start to believe it and from there on you’ve put mental shackles on yourself and things get hard. Believe in yourself, keep working hard, and prove those people wrong.

Q: If you weren’t slinging vintage, what would you be doing?

A: Work, I’m a working man.

Q: What is your favourite part of what you do?

A: Traveling, I’m looking forward to doing more of that. Setting up shop for this past Denim Days Festival in New York was a dream come true, and of course hunting for vintage denim is fun, it can be hit or miss but I enjoy it still.

Q: What is special about vintage clothing to you?

A: It’s a real time capsule. It takes you back to that era of clothing, it can become less of how it looks and more about how it feels. How were the people in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s feeling? What were they were going through? Feel me? haha

Q: Give us your 4 best thrifting tips and what to look for when you’re buying vintage?

A: First go early, because the old ladies in some of these spots aren’t playing around. Second, venture out from where you usually may go especially if it’s a popular thrift shop, they tend to get picked over. Third, make sure you actually feel the denim, I don’t know if I can explain it but vintage denim has a certain feel to it. Fourth, make sure you’re checking the tags and labels because you never know what you might come across. If the “made in” tag is missing and this goes back to how vintage denim feels, which I can’t explain lol... but off of feel alone you would know it’s a quality piece of denim.

Q: Second hand is no longer second best - Do you think thrifted and vintage clothing has become the new environmentally friendly way to shop?

A: Absolutely, the denim industry in general is making huge leaps and bounds to correct environmental issues. With thrifted shopping it’s an option to cancel out the fast fashion trend because you can find pieces you’d buy from “fastfashion.com” at the same price from the thrift store. There’s still a lot of work to be done in regards of fixing environmental issues but fashion companies and brands are being held accountable now, and for everyone living on planet earth it’s a great thing. Hopefully it’s not too late for us, I know the powers that be want to ship people off to live on Mars or some shit; my question is who will be able to afford that?

Q: What denim styles are currently trending and what have you sold the most of recently?

A: Levi’s 550 are probably my best seller, I don’t sell often but when I do, those go fast. I acquired some deadstock carpenter pants from a brand called “Carters” that I’m real excited about. Shout out to my man Levi Drake of Lamar County Dry Goods for that. Trend wise the high-waist jeans are still going strong. Loose fit jeans have come back around, the heritage look seems to get bigger every year. No matter what you’re into denim wise; there’s something for you. It’s a great time to be a denim head, it’s always exciting!

Q: What has been your favourite vintage score?

A: 1960’s Lee Storm Rider Jacket, sherpa lined it’s about three-quarter length. That’s my go to during the cold months.

Q: Do you have any tips or solutions for cleaning or mending vintage clothing?

A: When I’m shopping for LHT and a piece is exceptionally funky, I’ll do a cold soak and add just a little baking soda to the bath and rinse real good. Baking soda helps get the stench out. For my own personal raw denim, turn the pant inside out; I’ll do a cold soak for about twenty minutes and add a non-scented laundry detergent, wash and rinse, hang dry, pour a glass of whiskey and see if I’ve made any fade progress lol.

Q: What is your favourite era?

A: I equate eras by music, so for me the 60’s, because you had R&B artist like Curtis Mayfield, The Stylistics, The Impressions, and The Intruders. All the great Jazz giants of that time like Max Roach, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and of course Miles Davis. Then you get to my era of mid to late 90’s and C-N-N puts out The War Report in ‘97 and Mobb Deep drops Murda Muzik ’99 and life is not the same anymore after that haha. So it’s a toss-up between those two eras, I can’t make that decision.

Q: What is a typical day for you and is Left Hand Twill your full time pursuit?

A: I do work a full time job, and to be honest I’m burned out. It’s nothing denim related which doesn’t help my cause at all and if they see this portion of the interview they already know how I feel hahaha. Anyone who knows me knows that denim and Left Hand Twill is my passion. I close my eyes at night and I think blue, fam. I’ve managed to work full time and still do my thing with LHT but it’s about time LHT gets the time and attention it deserves from me.

Q: Where is the most inspiring place you have been?

A: Up to this junction of my life, NYC.

Q: How many languages do you speak?

A: Two... office and street talk.

Q: What inspires you?

A: People like yourself Will Varnam, it’s inspiring to see other passionate people doing their thing. A true love for what it is you do, I look at someone like Nick Williams and the amount knowledge he has is truly inspiring. Nick is like the Tim Duncan of denim “The Big Fundamental” haha. I’ve met a lot of denim heads the past couple of years and I’m in awe sometimes speaking with them but the convo is always cool and accepting. You put two passionate people in a room and steel sharpens steel, each one teach one. I’ve been through a lot to take me down this blue road and I’m not taking it for granted. So shout out to all the denim heads out there that have taken the time to get to know me and have been supportive of LHT it means the world to me.

Q: If you had to pick a song to describe yourself, what would it be?

A: This is a very hard question...smh. This question is why it’s taken me a while to finish this questionnaire lol. Prodigy the title track off of his year 2000 release “H.N.I.C.” (R.I.P. Albert Johnson aka Prodigy 11/2/1974 – 06/20/2017)

“Everyone starts somewhere, learn as much as you possibly can and never stop learning. ”

Solomon Russell

Q: What is your favourite City?

A: Nashville... the hot chicken is calling me.

Q: Who is your professional hero?

A: Kelly Harrington

Q: Where is your favourite Hotel?

A: If I’m coming to a city near you, the cheap hotels are my favorite.

Q: Breakfast of champions?

A: Two eggs scrambled with cheese, turkey bacon, hash browns and coffee, fin.

Q: Coffee or Tea?

A: Coffee, preferably Café Bustelo. I do like a ginger tea at the end of the night tho.

Q: Describe the last dream you had?

A: I can’t recall but I don’t like when I have dreams about being at my day job which happens more than I’d like haha.

Q: Tell me one thing that people might not know about you?

A: Music was my first passion, I use to rap my ass off.

Q: What is the craziest denim trend you’ve ever tried?

A: Back in the day in elementary school, my friend and I decided the day before we would come to school the next day and wear our pants backwards like Kriss Kross hahahah. Needless to say our teachers were NOT having it.

Q: Describe how your favourite jeans make you feel in 3 words?

A: Confident, cool, happy.

Q: What is your earliest denim memory?

A: It’s got to be elementary school and trying to wear my jeans backwards. We had it planned out, get to school and during lunch we’d go to the bathroom and turn the jeans around but it caused a commotion and we got shut down lol.

Q: What does the future hold for Solomon Russell?

A: Well some interesting things developed during New York Denim Days Festival this year, I don’t want to speak on it too soon but it could potentially be really dope. Other than that, more vintage denim, travel around for more pop up shops, maybe a website, we’ll see haha. I just want to keep things moving the right direction and keep learning baby.

Full speed ya’ll !

SHOP VINTAGE WITH LEFT HAND TWILL HERE