Kulture's Story

Towards the end of the 1990s the east coast rave scene was at its peak (or the start of it's demise), and the owners of Kulture were living it. Evan was doing the Richmond / Norfolk / DC thing while Justin was raving down in South Florida. In 1999, after reconnecting at a rave the two decided to open Kulture as an outlet for the clothing and music related to the scene. A far cry from the Kulture of today, the store in its infancy had just one showcase with pipes in it. The clothing took up both floors of their Shockoe Bottom shop, and the music section grew into a full-on DJ shop located in the third floor apartment. Things were good, people came from all over to get their rave gear and records. Evan was throwing his Abduction parties at Area 51 and a steady stream of DJ talent flowed through Richmond. Soon it all changed. Area 51 shut its doors in 2000 and in 2001 Cafine's, another popular club was shut down. The rave scene took a hard hit, and Kulture adjusted its sails. Adding more showcases and glass, Kulture began to shape into what it is today. Over the years, Kulture's roster of glassblowers has grown and grown, and they can now boast that they carry art by the country's top glassblowers. Shannon Edmonds, former owner of Threadz, joined the crew at Kulture in 2006, bringing with her Threadz's collection of new and gently used vintage clothing and accessories. She helped revamp the downstairs clothing area with a new layout, new fixtures, fresh paint and flooring. A revamping of the upstairs area followed soon after. Never known to stop growing, Kulture opened a store in Charlottesville in 2007 and another on the South Side of Richmond in 2009. Keep watching, because Kulture never stops!