After walking into a small, dimly lit venue set for performing artists on a Tuesday night, the last thing on my mind was clothes. My focus was to study, pre-research D.C.’s hottest rappers before I actually interview them at a later date. But before the showcase and my preparation began, two passionate businessmen and a display of urban apparel captured my attention. My focus was diverted, but for good reason. I found a jewel and it’s called Dye City Sports.
Calvin Willis, co-CEO, designer, and sales rep, immediately piqued my interest in the colorful display of T-shirts, sweatshirts, and scarves encouraging me to check it out and see what I liked. And when I was too timid and proper to unfold a couple of shirts that I really wanted to pick up—I mean the set up looked so neat I really didn’t want to mess it up—Tyrone McClain, co-CEO, printer, and sales rep, gave me the go ahead. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll fold it back,†he laughed noticing my hesitation.
It’s one thing to like a product, but when the actual owners and producers are customer-friendly and lacking ego, it makes the company and its product that much more attractive. It was a no-brainer; I had to get an interview. Calvin took time away from his post, which was all throughout the venue networking with artists and other entrepreneurs, to give me insight into Dye City Sports.
Samantha Luck: When and how did you start Dye City Sports?
Calvin Willis: We started the company in 2000. I’ve always considered myself in the know of fashion. [Tyrone] propositioned me one day and said, “How would you like to take your fashion sense and start making your own clothes?â€
First, where we started was with a name. We bounced around for hours.
SL: What does the acronym D.Y.E. C.I.T.Y. stand for?
CW: Designed In Young Eyes Created In Troubled Years. We incorporated the I and the Y, that’s why there’s a dot over the Y.
SL: Who is your audience?
CW: My target audience is guys like myself. Guys from 16–36. Urban, fly, in the know of fashion. I want to reach an audience who may have never thought about an urban clothing line. I want to help people see that out of all chaos, there is some order. And those who may have perceived us as being ghetto or anything else can see that those people they considered ghetto or “hood,†can also be businessmen and professional. I want to be able to prove to the world that a young man from Northeast, D.C., can make it worldwide without falling into stereotypes.
SL: Tell me about the clothes for women.
CW: We’re looking to make an expansion on what we’ve already done. We want to make our audience broader and include women. We want to kind of make a separate line, that way women can appreciate it. We don’t want it Dye City Sports, but Dye City’s Finest. I want them to feel as beautiful as possible but as comfortable as possible. I want women to understand that they don’t have to be what they see on TV to be beautiful.
SL: What’s the goal of the company?
CW: We’re not looking for an overnight success. We’ve been working 10 years. People still don’t know who we are, but we still want people to be able to see us and think that we’re fresh, we’re new and at the same time, we’re used to this, we’re veterans.
SL: What is your size range?
CW: Women: Small–1X. Men: Medium–3X. We make exceptions because it ain’t always about the sale, it’s about the customer. So don’t be afraid to approach us with something that can be perceived as outside the box.
SL: Can a customer have something custom made?
CW: Yes, but that all depends on the time. If we’re in the middle of a large project then it’s kind of hard to do. But if we’ve already finished our whole line and say someone likes a design but in a specific color, we may be able to make that happen for them.
I actually built my reputation off of being able to match colors with sneakers. So if people have sneakers that they can’t find colors for, then I’ll make it happen for them. We’re extremely flexible. It’s about the customer. I actually enjoy what I do. And because I enjoy what I do, I can flex and bend to help other people out.
