We got some sad news yesterday. Our good friend, Russell, owner of Crown Mercantile and American Aces, was found dead in his car early yesterday morning. He was recently featured in a Westword article about how shop owners along South Broadway are upset over recent raises in rents. Crown went from paying $900/month to $2400/month.

Russell was the guy who helped me find my fashion sense, and having worked at Aces and Crown off and on for a few years, I learned a lot about vintage furniture, clothes, and lifestyles. He had a keen eye for retro furnishings, and Crown Mercantile was his baby, opening 6 years ago as an offshoot to his clothing store, American Aces. I helped create Crown's website, and maintained it for a few years, until I was no longer able to put the necessary time in to keep it going. Although Russell's death comes as a bit of a shock, he seemed to be heading toward this end for a while. He battled drug addiction, depression, and a skateboarding injury that broke his femur, keeping him off his feet for almost a year.

I'm gonna miss Russell. He was one of those people who didn't realize just how many lives he touched with his sense of humor, and big heart. I don't think he knew just how many friends he had, and how many people cared about him. It's sad to see someone with such a talent for all things vintage and retro leave us so soon. He brought style to Denver, and Crown and Aces had some of the coolest stuff in town. I can look around our house, and find so many items that came from Crown and Aces. I've got a closet full of DaVinci shirts, Avanti Hawaiians, and Nat Nast shirts. Then there's the retro clocks, funky baby outfits, and 1940's club chairs. Everywhere we look, we see some stuff that came from Russell.

Russell's influence is all around this house, and our lives. He will be missed.