Doe Boys In The Building
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
An interview by Summer Stanley.
At the respective ages of 15, not too long ago for high school graduates Darius Person and Victor Stephens, the two teenagers who had bonded over a respect for one another’s style and drive, joined forces in an effort to “go get doe.” Bread Cheese and Doe, the brainchild of that effort, is now a start-up clothing company with wares displayed on the racks of such popular Atlanta boutiques as Adrene and Vinnies Styles in Little Five Points. While other high school seniors were preparing for a prom that was a week away, Victor and Darius were celebrating the success of their first fashion show- a long way from the lockers where they began selling sunglasses and mix tapes. Not long after Darius received his scholarship from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Victor was accepted at Auburn University, The Real Atlanta catches up with the hard-working twosome a week before graduation.
TheRealAtlanta.com: Congratulations, both of you.
Victor and Darius: Thank you.
TRA: Victor, I heard you were accepted into Auburn’s business school two years early. That’s quite a feat.
Victor: When I did the application I incorporated everything that I was doing, including [Bread Cheese and Doe], and I guess somebody read that and was like, “We need to go get him.” So we’ve had a lot going on. We were featured on Thrillest blog.
TRA: Tell me about Thrillest.
Victor: It’s done in Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, even Japan. Like, for real?! So it’s like the who’s who of what’s hot for the top ten cities. And we were featured in the fashion section of what’s hot so. . .
TRA: So while you were dancing at your senior prom they were already hyping about your fashion line in Japan?
Victor: I guess so. I pray so. A lot of different feedback we’ve gotten off of that. And actually a little further back we even met Johnny Cupcakes. He came down for his annual Suitcase tour and we got pictures with him, we got a spot on his blog, and they had us on a video. His Mom fanned us on Facebook. When you go on her Facebook fan page, she’s only a fan of four pages. Her son’s page, our page and like two other pages.
TRA: Nothing like a proud mama. And to be in such exclusive company at such a young age is impressive.
Victor: Yeah we’re 18.
TRA: How old were you when you got started in the fashion industry?
Victor: People always ask are you a fashionista or whatever, and it’s not really that. It’s our mentality, you know. That’s what our brand is- it’s a mentality. We’re trying to go accelerate and do something that we started in December 2008.
Darius: About a year and a half ago we were in Victor’s attic just throwing around ideas. Before that, Victor and I met in tenth grade and we were always just business minded and had the mentality of going and getting dough. Which is what the brand stands for.
TRA: BC&D, right?
Darius: Right- Bread Cheese and Doe Clothing’s mentality is “Go Get Dough.” Which is what we stand for- going out after your dreams and what you believe in. So we got together and laid down the foundation of what you see today as BC&D. About a year and a half ago is when it really started to take off.
TRA: You were fifteen when you came up with the idea?
Victor: Fifteen, sixteen. It’s funny because me and Darius have only known each other for like two years, and even though it seems like we’ve known each other a lifetime, I met him literally like, in the tenth grade in Language Arts class. I’m like, “Who is this guy? Why does he wear the same shoes I wear?” You know, like, “Why are we so cool?” [The two laugh.] But really we clicked right away. There aren’t many people I know who I can call on my phone, like, “Yo. I’m tryin to sell sunglasses. You down?” He’s like, “Yeah, whatever, let’s do it.” Just to be able to talk to someone about moving forward with something worthwhile, like, “Yo, let’s do it.”
Darius: A month after we met we were selling sunglasses out of our lockers.
TRA: That’s how you got started? Selling sunglasses out of lockers at the high school?
Darius: I mean, it was a source of commerce [He laughs].
Victor: That, and we had mix tapes. We had the Andre 3000 v. Kanye West mix tape. On the illegal side, we had American Gangster like five weeks before it came out, and were selling those to teachers and janitors. The movie came out in November and we started selling it in October.
Darius: That was so soon after we met that it just goes to show you the partnership is here for bringing in the dough. We saw the vision in Victor’s attic.
TRA: You already shared a business mindset that I think that even Denzel Washington and Andre 3000 could appreciate.
Victor: You know, it was a really clean cut copy of [American Gangster] that I had found. I was like, “Whoah, this doesn’t come out for a little while. This could be a good copy.” So I put it in and it was like pristinely clear! It had the main menu options and everything. I was like, “Whoah! Let’s get twenty dollars up, let’s go dub a hundred copies of this.” Sure enough, we were sold out in like a couple of days.
TRA: So when did Bread Cheese and Doe shift from selling other people’s ideas and other people’s intellectual property to marketing your own ideas? After the attic meeting, what were the steps to starting your own clothing designs at the ages of 15 and 16?
Victor: I mean the house wasn’t exactly where it all began. Before that too, we printed t-shirts for all the local high school organizations. I was doing the debate team stuff, the Junior class stuff, and it was like, “You know what? I’m doing all this other stuff for people. What can we do for ourselves?” And that thought had been going for a while, but you know ideas are just ideas, and it was raw. It was just like, “How are we gonna fill this canvas out? This blank sheet of paper?”
TRA: Tell me how Bread Cheese and Doe went from the canvas to having your first fashion show just shy of prom week?
D: Immediately after [the attic meeting] we started to get the word out. We probably put about twenty designs together. And within a month we were releasing our first shirt that was the original staple shirt. If you have that shirt, you’ll probably be a millionaire. It was a chef we had drawn up. With the bread, cheese, and doe logo. It was a yellow and white shirt with turquoise paint.
TRA: Are there any left?
Vic: Those were gone the first two weeks out. And then like the week after that Obama had gotten inaugurated. I remember that was January 19th. So we designed “What Up Barack” shirts the week he was inaugurated and the next week they were gone. So everything went with the time.
TRA: It sounds like you couldn’t make them fast enough.
Victor: We tried to keep everything going, but we don’t want to over-rush the market. So it was like 24 shirts and I guess when you start doing something you never realize how fast it’s going to grow. A year ago I never would’ve thought I’d be doing a fashion show. Getting interviewed, getting column write-ups from people.
Darius: A month after we started selling tees we’d be out and see people wearing our shirts. It was surreal.
TRA: Where were you the first time you saw somebody wearing one of your t-shirts and how did you feel?
Darius: I was actually at the mall. And I saw he a guy in a BC&D button. I was like, “Wooow.” So over the next couple of months we would meet people. We met this ten-year-old kid who was wearing the Black Bart tee that we did. It was this ten-year-old white kid that we didn’t know who had our shirt on. It was like, “How does this happen?” It’s amazing.
TRA: That is amazing. So how do you come up with ideas for your designs? Obviously I get that Barack was gonna sell, and that was a perfect opportunity. He was trendy.
Victor: That was like pop culture’s Superman. But more specifically with the stuff we’ve done for the Spring collection… Of course Outkast inspired the name if you’re familiar with Aquemini. That was Andre 3000’s bar: “Street scholars, majoring in culinary arts, you know, how to work for Bread, Cheese, and Dough.” And so that’s the brand and I was like, “Well I got this man’s bar as my brand so I definitely have to pay homage. I wanna do a t-shirt.” Also as a huge Simpson’s fan, I like artwork; I like animation. But it was like, “Let’s get Outkast. Then we got the Bart idea from our man Jabari Graham, who does Arts, Beats, and Lyrics here in Atlanta- a huge urban art show that gets all the Graffiti artists from the area together. He said one day, “I remember growing up in the ‘90’s the Black Bart thing was hot!” And the original Black Bart, if you remember, they were about the Apartheid. Then came the Michael Jordan Series- so you see a lot of old vintage ones on E-bay. It was like pre-Mandela, End South American Apartheid with Mandela wearing a Michael Jordan Jersey on. [Jabari] was like, “Man we should re-vamp it and try to do something with it.” And then in the following few days I had an artist friend, Kendall Putmon, put up a few designs sketches together, before you know it, we were printing the t-shirt. Getting ready for the spring fashion show.
TRA: So there have been a lot of people involved in making this happen, but mainly you two.
Victor: Yes. You know, we always try to incorporate people and let everybody exercise their talent. Doing this gave me an opportunity to meet people and kids all over Atlanta and all over the world who are doing the same thing. It’s just that nobody necessarily has the direction to what they’re doing, they just have a raw talent. And everybody needs direction, or they need somebody to lend a helping hand and that’s what we’ve been able to do. So that’s definitely my favorite part about being a clothing designer so far. Our company motto is, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And we feel like we have one of the strongest teams as far as clothing starting out in the industry. We have dope designers- one kid goes to Georgia Tech and another kid is still in high school. It’s kind of like a new conglomerate.
TRA: You have youth’s momentum in your favor. So, did somebody get in touch with you about the Fashion Show or was it someone from this network you’ve created?
Darius: It was us.
TRA: You put together the entire fashion show?
Victor: It was us. We did the production, we had the talent, and the venue. We were the coordinators and the designers for it. We had Miss Gretchen Smith help us with the styling. Miss Gretchen is a local stylist who coordinated all the models for us.
TRA: So how was the turnout for the show?
Victor: It was a very respectable, very good turnout. A lot of apprehension prior to it, though.
TRA: I can imagine!
Victor: You know it was our first time coordinating an event, or participating in the coordination of an event, and of course I had a lot of doubts, a lot of anticipation for it. But it was an excellent turnout, and we got a lot of love from it.
TRA: Was there one particular meltdown moment or was it all smooth sailing?
Victor: The meltdowns occurred beforehand. It was like, “Whoah! What are we doing? This is retarded! People might not come- we didn’t do this in enough time.” But all of that was beforehand. By the time the event came it was like, “All right. Blackberry is full. Let’s make some phone calls; let’s get some people out here. Now, you do this. You do this.” You know, “Let’s keep it professional; let’s keep it going smooth. And let’s show these people a good time. Let’s show ‘em what we’ve been working on.”
TRA: Following the fashion show, you were picked up by Adrene Boutique on Peters Street and by Vinny’s Styles in Little Five Points. How is the boutique business?
Darius: Sold out, I believe. So it’s great.
Victor: It was great. That’s something you always want to hear. Sold out!
TRA: Are you restocking for Summer?
Victor: We’re definitely going to be making a staple with Black Bart for the Summer collection. We’re going to design something for the ’96 Olympics, so it will be a fun collection that brings back some old memories. You’ll be saying, “Wow, I remember when that happened! I remember when [Interstate] 75 was two lanes!” And that’s what we want to do is to remember: this is our city; this is what goes on every day. This is where the Atlanta you see today came from. You know Jabari Graham went to a neighboring high school- Lithonia High. Now he has a successful promotion company, Shamless Plug. I mean he did the Goodie Mob concert. Who can be more Atlanta than Goodie Mob? You know, his Urban Arts show sponsored by Gentlemens Jack! Then you’ve got me and Darius. I mean we’re from Decatur, Georgia. Most people don’t know what that is, and we just want to showcase our city through ourselves and other people that grew up around us.
TRA: So you’re really trying to represent Atlanta in your fashion and your style. Do you plan on expanding that to other cities?
Darius: I think so. If you see brands like I’d say The Hundreds, those brands have infiltrated the South. Kids are walking around, and you’re like, “Are you from the South, really?” So we want to take that same idea of showing California culture to Atlanta and showing Atlanta culture to let’s say New York and California. And then we want to show the world. So we’re just coming to plead our case to the world saying, “This is what we’re about.” We’re about getting dough, and going after what we believe in. We’re going to sell you Atlanta, and this is our collection.
TRA: Atlanta is becoming the next international city. L.A. and New York are there already. It’s like we’re not even up and coming anymore. We’re arriving, and I feel like you guys really embody that. It’s exciting for young artists in Atlanta to see that and to see you guys be so successful. So, with one of you at SCAD and one of you at Auburn, do you plan to continue this partnership? If so, how are you going to accomplish it?
Victor: Teamwork makes the dream work, you know? We have a staff of young people who are on the same level trying to accomplish the same type of goals. David Smith from Georgia Tech, I previously mentioned Kendall Puttmon from North Druid Hills High, Tyler McCullers from the The Yard Radio is helping out, Matthew Moses from Shalimar Media Group. Doing this project has been a way of connecting people. So it’s not just a Vic and Darius thing anymore. We got all the dough getters.
Darius: We don’t see us going to school as the end of BC&D. We see going to school as us having an opportunity to expand our brand to different parts of the South. I mean [Victor] is going to Alabama and I’m going to Savannah. We see it as a way to tell more people about us- not a stoppage. As you can see, we’re in stores. It’s kind of a progression.
TRA: So your college experience is just a way of furthering your business.
Darius: Absolutely. It’s all about organization and good time management. And being able to see how to keep a calendar and keep yourself grounded. Knowing what’s important helps put things into perspective. Of course getting your classwork done is number one. You don’t have to go to that party on Friday- you don’t have to go to that party on Saturday.
TRA: Or you can go in a BC&D shirt!
Darius: Right, or you go to rep your brand. BC&D is kind of incorporated into our lives. Like while we’re at school, we’re selling the product. Like we’re wearing the BC& D and people are wearing it. It’s just another extension of Bread Cheese and Dough.
TRA: So what began as a long term project has continued. You’ve kept the same vision.
Victor: We make every place our workplace. If Darius is at school he always has his camera. He shot our 2010 class documentary. I’ve always been there- selling t-shirts, selling mix tapes, selling whatever. Then it’s standard to me selling my own brand. So wherever I go I make it my workplace, or a place where I can leave my staple or my business card. I want people always say, “Hey, that’s the guy you want to go talk to.”
TRA: So when is the Summer line coming out? Is there a set date?
Victor: No set date. We’re working around the Spring feed and enjoying that success. And while we’re working on that we’re working on releasing the Summer collection.
Darius. We’re graduating this coming Sunday, so I mean, yeah, it’s been a busy month, but it’s obviously all worth it.
TRA: How do you feel now that high school’s over? What are your feelings now?
Darius: Better make it a dough-getter summer.
[We all laugh.]
Victor: We’re not gonna stop!
Darius: [Not being in school] is giving us more time to work on our Summer Collection. We plan on hitting ArtBeats and Lyrics, with the more Black Bart stuff.
Victor: We were at the ABL Show in Charlotte and Alien (B.O.B.’s former drummer.) is on the drums just beating it. You know he must’ve gone through every genre and pulse of hip-hop. We went from TuPac- Gangsta Party, to Atlanta- Bombs Over Baghdad, To New York- The Rock, and the guy was just killing it. Throwing sticks out into the crowd- the crowd throwing it back. He’s standing on top of the base just going in with it.
Darius: He was doing all that in our Black Bart tee. The shirts were being sold at the show, and it wasn’t like they were featured, he was just there showing love.
TRA: So hello world, goodbye high school.
Victor: A lot of people are caught up on hype- everybody wants to be that cool person. But I think what’s definitely been a help for us is we’ve always reached back. We were always helping whoever wanted to be down. We put somebody to work. Whoever wanted to be down we were always there for them. I might not necessarily know what you need, or I might not deal in it. Take my good friend Ahmed. I got her an Atlanta internship at the Atlanta Bar Association. Now that doesn’t deal with Bread, Cheese and Doe, but it does. She’s trying to go get dough. She’s trying to be an entertainment attorney. So I said, “Wait a second. Let me give a call to my attorney.” He’s like you know, “Go down to the Atlanta Bar Association.” And you know she got her job, and we’ve done that for a lot of different people.
TRA: Networking is crucial.
Vic: That’s the most important thing. You know it’s not about necessarily how much money you make, or how famous you are, or how many friends you have on Facebook, or how many follows you have on Twitter, but those moments of integrity really going after your dreams, saying, “I’m gonna do this! And it’s going to get done, and it’s gonna be done like this!” It’s those moments of integrity that really make life worthwhile.
TRA: So what is it that keeps you guys grounded? When you’re young you have so many distractions. What helps you maintain your vision and your inspiration to keep this company going? What keeps that drive?
Darius: I think just staying focused on what we’re after, because in the end our aim is to get all our ideas out there. We stay grounded by having good people around us so that if somebody’s acting up, we have to say, “Stop that.” And get back on track. That’s what it’s all about- looking out for each other. Like I said, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Victor: When it comes to the people that I work with, everybody’s family, you know? Our photographer, Aniz, came over to do a commercial on us and he ended up staying for Easter Dinner. It’s all family. That’s what keeps the drive going is by knowing that what we’re doing is not only progressing us but also the guy sitting next to us and the guy sitting next to him and the guy sitting next to him. You know, I go to school with some of the most talented people there are, but because of the lack of help from others we can’t necessarily make it as far as we want. I always wanted to be that person that helped the next guy in line. I just didn’t want to do something for myself. Yes I do have a family that I want to see well taken care of, but at the same time, I want to be able to look at the next person’s family and be proud that they were able to do the same thing as I was.
TRA: So where do you see your dream fashion show?
Vic: I don’t know. On the moon! [Laughing.] You said dream!
TRA: So you don’t see any limits.
Darius: The sky’s the limit, but not even the sky cuz like the quote goes, “The sky’s not even the limit ‘cuz there’s footprints on the moon.” Basically, we just see Bread Cheese and Doe everywhere. Within the next ten years, we want to be in New York and L.A. Actually within the next five years, next year-
Victor: Next Day!
Darius: Next day, tomorrow! We just expect to keep progressing and steamrolling and take this moment we have now and just keep capitalizing on it. Roll into the Summer collection, then Winter. Then do it all over again.
TRA: What are you most looking forward to learning from your college experience that you can then incorporate into BC&D?
Victor: I really want to get more into the cut and sews, really going across seas, picking out different fabrics. Really what I do now is print on t-shirts. I have pins, I make hats and different things like that, but I really want to be in the grassroots of textile. I want to make the shirt, cut this jean, make the coat, make the bag, and the luggage. It’s a real creative process where I have an opportunity to go all the way down to the t’s as far as getting fabrics- getting the cut and color of everything. I really want to get into that. And I think there’s always more to learn as you progress.
Darius: I mean, better ways to go about marketing your product, producing your product. There’s always room to learn. And we just try to learn from other’s mistakes and try to work on what we’re doing and succeed with it.
TRA: So right now your brand is unisex and geared towards everyone with the t-shirts and the buttons. Do you see yourself doing a women’s and men’s clothing line?
Darius: I mean being a doe-getter is unisex. So we don’t really see ourselves more focused on a men’s brand, or a women’s brand, or a kid’s brand. We’re all about expressing to the world about being what being a doe getter is all about and in turn people showing us love back.
Victor: I think we’re firm believers in John Rockefeller’s life. He is our ultimate guide and he said, “Every man has the right to earn a living for his family.” So he was constantly involved in giving back. Whether it was through the Rockefeller University, giving money to Chicago, building up different platforms. He was constantly working with other people, and people will always remember that. It’s all about building good relationships with people. And that’s what’s important in doing whatever it is that you’re doing.
TRA: Any last words?
Darius: You can check out Bread Cheese and Doe at www.gogetdoe.com. Follow us on Twitter @gogetdoe. I just wanna thank everybody that’s been down with Bread Cheese and Doe. Keep going after your dreams. That’s it.
Victor: Best of luck to all the people we work with.
Darius: And we would also like to give a shout out to the graduating class of Southwest Dekalb High School 2010, and also all the graduates around the world and the country.
Vic: Whether street scholar or otherwise! Graduating from Northwestern or graduating on the street- good job! Keep your head up.
TRA: Thank you so much! Congratulations and good luck!
BC&D’s most recent creation, the “Make It Hot” tee designed for rapper Nesby Phips, is now being produced and distributed by the legendary Damon Dash. For purchasing info, or for the latest on BC&D, visit www.gogetdoe.com.
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