The man behind Royce Hill didn’t really feel like doing this interview

By Curtis Rowser III

On a flurrying Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn, Justin Hulme opens the doors of his Crown Heights apartment and leads me upstairs to a spacious and cozy three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. His dining room walls are fully covered with vinyl — records ranging from 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Trying” to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors,” a testament to his wide-ranging taste. Hulme is sporting black pants, a plain black t-shirt, and a dark indigo Royce Hill overshirt — an item from one of his earlier collections.

Hulme, 26, founded the apparel company Royce Hill in March 2021, a year into the pandemic. While he acknowledges that Royce Hill is “still just a baby,” the brand is off to a start that would make many longtime designers jealous: Royce Hill has its own rack at CHCM, the exclusive men’s clothing boutique in NoHo; the rapper Smino wore Royce Hill during his performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”; and the brand has been featured on GQ’s “Best New Menswear Items to Buy This Week” column — twice. GQ’s Gerald Ortiz writes that he’s filing Royce Hill in his mind under “cool new brands I need in my closet.”

Last month, Hulme, who was born in Long Island and spent his middle and high school years in Minnesota before returning to New York, dropped Royce Hill’s third collection. It was the brand’s biggest drop to date, in spite of relatively high price points, ranging from $90 hats to $395 jackets. Hulme says the cost is due to the fact that he refuses shortcuts on any part of the production process, whether it’s designing the product or conceptualizing the brand’s photoshoots.

Royce Hill’s hallmarks are minimal branding, high-quality fabrics, and precise details. Hulme says he is in it to make timeless clothes that transcend generations. Besides an occasional post from his personal Instagram, you’d never know he was the man behind the brand. This is by design, as Hulme prefers to let the apparel speak for itself.

Brooklyn Magazine sat down with the soft-spoken designer to discuss the origins of Royce Hill, his latest collection, and what we can expect in the future. Excerpts:

Hulme (Photo by Rich Fazo)

Was fashion something you’ve always been interested in? Where did your interest in style come from?
My background is sports. In middle and high school, basketball was everything to me; and my obsession with style came from that. It came through sportswear and how people incorporated style into athletics. My obsession with Jordans and sneakers was the first thing. In high school, we’d go camp out for J’s, and that was what consumed me. That’s why I ended up seeking retail jobs once I moved back here. That’s also why I ended up transferring to FIT: I really just wanted to be in that space as much as possible.

Were you trying to emulate any other designers?
Nah, I was only interested in making clothes just for me, just for myself. I really just wanted to learn about the real breakdown of the process and how to do it. I don’t have a technical background or design background. I’m just interested in what I’m interested in and know what I like. I have my own perspective on clothing, like all of us should.

What was your first experience going through the process of making clothes?
So, I had a canvas jacket that I thrifted. I started to critique it and take note of things that were off about it. You know, the fabric in general, the cut, the zipper, the pocket detailing. Just things I didn’t love about it. That’s when I was like, “Okay, let me try to make my own jacket.” I started searching around the garment district and going to different fabric stores. And at the time, what I was interested in, and still really interested in, is texwax fabrics, and I found a heavy wax canvas. I ended up being introduced to Hugo — a seamstress — and essentially, he helped me rework a pattern to make a cropped Detroit jacket. It was the very first thing I made. I was so happy about it. I think it’s just a timeless jacket. I’d wear it in 20 years, and that’s the perspective I’ve taken since then. I’m learning as I go.

At this point, were you even thinking about starting a clothing brand?
Fuck no. I just wanted to make something for myself. And then from there, it was like, “I’m gonna keep creating more ideas in my head.” Still completely before I was thinking about a brand. I was just thinking about taking traditional workwear and military wear and how I could reimagine this and take the shapes apart and transform the patterns of these classic silhouettes. It was just something I really enjoyed. But that first jacket gained a little traction on Instagram, and people started reaching out for commissioned pieces. Then Covid happened. And thoughts about starting a brand started happening, but still no commitment. I was just enjoying it.

So, what led to the launch of the brand?
A couple of homies and I did a few shoots during 2020. I really just wanted to showcase the clothing and samples I was making. I just wanted to show my work because I thought it was really strong. I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it. After a couple more samples and more things for myself, in March 2021, I formally came up with the concept, the brand, and the name. There was no “aha moment” either. It was a natural progression of creating. It just got to a point where I was ready to showcase my work in a way that’s organized, with a linear focus, all under one umbrella. I just really love this shit, and I just wanted a place to put out what I like. Everything is over-sensationalized nowadays. This wasn’t that.

Hulme and Chris Corenza (Curtis Rowser III)

There’s a mystique surrounding Royce Hill. How intentional is that?
I want as little marketing as possible. I want the clothes to speak for itself. Even doing this interview is out of the norm for me. Royce Hill is really not about me. You don’t need to know who the fuck I am; it’s just about the clothes. I just appreciate the actual art of making the clothing and putting it out. And letting people interpret it how they want, and wear it how they want and appreciate it for what it is.

You make sure to give a nod to Brooklyn on your tags. How has Brooklyn inspired you creatively?
It’s almost subconscious. I just live and have experiences. Going out with people I admire and fuck with, these are all lived experiences that help me shape how I view style and how I view the clothing I wanna make and put out in the world. I’m always thinking about how my clothes fit in the lifestyle of someone that lives in Brooklyn. It can’t be one-dimensional. You can be at the party, you can be at the bar. It doesn’t need to be pigeonholed. It’s hard to pinpoint, but Brooklyn is reflected in everything I design.

What can we expect from Royce Hill moving forward?
There will be a summer collection for sure. We’ll be kinda piggybacking off of this recent spring drop but expanding into new fabrics and new silhouettes. Other than that, I’d be lying if I said my plans are super thought-out or planned-out. I think that shit’s overrated. Everybody works differently; I know how I work and think. Right now, it’s just me. I just have to trust myself. I take opinions and listen to feedback, but I trust myself. It’s a tricky question; I can’t even tell you what to expect a year from now. I can just tell you I’m gonna keep making and creating the stuff I want to do and share it with the audience that fucks with it.