In Richmond’s Museum District, tucked away in an unassuming third-floor workspace and unfinished bathroom, Constant Practice operates as both an archive and a curated menswear store. Known for its focus on rare and experimental pieces, the brand has built a global following of almost 800,000 on Instagram. But at its core, Constant Practice is about more than just clothes—it’s about opinion, design, and the evolving exploration of menswear’s past and future.
The insights in this article are drawn from interviews with founder Zeke Hemme and head curator Jonah Fuller, originally featured in INK Magazine and TOKION. You can find the full interviews HERE and HERE.
A Curated Opinion
For Zeke and Jonah, Constant Practice is about much more than just selling clothes—it’s about offering a well-developed perspective. “Constant Practice is a curated, vintage menswear clothing store that is operated online through our social media channels,” Jonah explains. “Our owner, Zeke Hemme, started the brand roughly in 2016, and since then, it has been a personal exploration of him to specific menswear designers. For that reason, it has changed over time as well. It’s been an evolving process of curation and opinion. That’s basically what it is, a curated opinion.”
Zeke elaborates on the journey, tracing how the store’s focus evolved over time: “I was selling Undercover, then I slowly moved onto Cav Empt, and then after that I did a Cav Empt drop on Grailed in 2016. Then I stopped for about six months, ‘cause I was trying to figure out what to do. I almost stopped selling at that point. [laughs] It’s really funny, I don’t know why I stopped. I guess I was overthinking it and trying to think of something cool and new to do when I should’ve really just continued what I was doing.”
When he returned, Zeke leaned into brands like Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, and Issey Miyake, valuing their oversized cuts and unique design details. “Personally, I really, really like Comme, Yohji, and Issey…that’s why I collect a lot of them. I have my own collection and stuff I sell. And then I sell my personal stuff at some point. But I feel like the more you have a personal attachment to the stuff, the more you find better products…the very specific, unique, or hard-to-find ones.”
Why Richmond?
Though Constant Practice has a global audience, Richmond has become the store’s unlikely base of operations. After stints in Hoboken and Philadelphia, Zeke found that the city offered the right balance of affordability and culture for his growing archive. “We moved down to Philly because we were gonna have my first daughter, and it was just cheaper down there…I mean, the New York area, I’m sure you know how expensive it is. And then from Philly we moved down to Richmond because more family was down in the Richmond area,” he says.
Jonah adds, “Richmond is great because it has a wonderful culture and diversity. And it’s definitely affordable to live here in a city. And with the internet, you can do anything everywhere now. Many people ask us why we choose not to be in New York; it doesn’t really matter if you’re in New York anymore. And there are just really great people here. We really love Richmond, and there are really great talented people here that are doing great stuff as well.”
Curation as Exploration
The heart of Constant Practice lies in its careful curation, which balances a respect for the past with an eye toward the future. Jonah describes how their approach has shifted over time: “The aesthetic has definitely evolved. Originally, the store consisted of very rare and slightly more expensive Japanese designers such as Yohji [Yamamoto], which was really sought after back then. But the aesthetic now mostly revolves around menswear for its form and function. I think for that reason, we get a lot of inspiration from classic military garments such as bombers and menswear staples. We like the sort of references to the past as well as references to the future. Like, making something old feel new again.”
This attention to detail extends to the more obscure brands they feature, like Mandarina Duck. Zeke explains, “With Mandarina Duck there just isn’t that much information out there, so my goal was to try to consolidate as much as possible to get a whole picture of what products the brand offers. Through the [consolidated] products you can actually understand more of the brand, because everything’s in one place. It’s not like you’re seeing one piece here and one piece there, and you’re like, ‘I kind of get it.’ You’re actually seeing a hundred pieces of that one brand.”
Fashion and Sustainability
In an era of fast fashion, Constant Practice offers a counterpoint, emphasizing quality and longevity. “Something Zeke and I say is that if you are a brand that genuinely cares about the environment, you wouldn’t be producing clothes at all,” Jonah says. “But that’s not to say that what we do doesn’t have repercussions, either. Nothing is perfect, but comparatively, what we do is much more sustainable.”
He encourages a slower, more deliberate approach to fashion consumption. “The larger problem is that we have a consumerism issue. It’s a lifestyle of updating and shopping for new things. Whether you’re the first consumer buying new clothing, or whether it’s secondhand, there’s this idea of new. I like shopping, and I like getting new things as well, but I think there is something very valuable in living with what you have—living in the clothing. Letting it be a part of you for a while is probably the best thing you could do for the environment.”
What’s Next?
Constant Practice continues to evolve, staying true to its ethos while exploring new possibilities. Jonah reflects on their Instagram account, which has become a cornerstone of their brand: “Our Instagram account has always been very nonchalant, and we never took ourselves too seriously. Really, our Instagram is a reflection of us sort of entertaining ourselves through the grunt work of it. We do think we do good work, but we don’t regard ourselves as higher than others. We’re not special, we’re just regular guys, and this is our interest, and we really love what we do. I think that really shines through.”
Looking ahead, Jonah promises “more heat” for their followers. “More clothes and outfits. We’re delving into some new markets—more of the same but different. We’re always bringing in new and old designers and constantly keeping at it.”
Follow along at Constant Practice
