RICHMOND, Va. -- If you asked Damien Chew about 1980s and 1990s fashion, he would simply say, "they were killing the game."
To Chew, they were probably killing it so much, that he decided to open a store dedicated to vintage men's fashions from those decades.
Chew's boutique, Dames, in Richmond's Lakeside neighborhood, sells handpicked vintage, sneakers, and accessories all from the 1970s to 2000s.
Customers, many of whom are friendly with Chew and his employees, drop in to shuffle through his collection or some bring in their own items to sell.
Now why get into reselling vintage clothing? Chew says it's because the clothes usually have a meaning behind them.
"It lasts longer, it has a story behind it, the quality is better, it looks better," Chew said. "I don't like fast fashion."
Dames is a fairly new boutique, opening its doors on Lakeside Avenue in February 2023. Chew says its location in the Lakeside neighborhood is important for not only his store but for people who look like him who live in the area.
"Lakeside is predominantly white, so now with the influx of Black people coming in and buying homes and whatnot, you have a [Black-owned] retailer where you can come shop," Chew said. "We're changing the landscape of the neighborhood."
Aside from the location of his boutique, Chew says he opened his store primarily to satisfy men's clothing preferences.
"I feel like Richmond needed a boutique that was catered more towards men, I know it's a lot of resell markets for women," Chew said. "The initial reason was because I wanted to have something for us."
Obviously, as a clothing store owner and reseller, Chew comes across a lot of different sneaker and clothing brands during his day-to-day operations.
Which means he must have a favorite sneaker, right? He has two.
One pair is the Air Jordan 4 "Bred" Reimagined, a sneaker that will actually be re-releasing soon on February 17.
Since Chew didn't have the Bred 4s in stock, he pointed out the Motorsport 4's in his shop, a similar sneaker
"But anybody who knows me knows I love Jordan 1's," Chew said. He pulls out another Reimagined sneaker from the Jordan line, the Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Satin Bred." A sneaker covered in, you guessed it, a satin finish, with a black and red colorway.
After a little contemplation, Chew says a faded grey t-shirt, located in the back of the store, is one of the "hardest" pieces he has in his business.
"They got the raindrops on it, it looks like you're sitting there looking through a windowpane," Chew said.
According to Forbes in 2023, Black-owned small businesses "still face major challenges" as Black businesses make up 2.3% of all American "employer firms" but make up over 14% of the population.
When it comes to breaking into this industry with the odds stacked against you, Chew has advice for any up-and-coming Black business owner.
"Don't quit on your dreams, don't stop," he said. "We're missing Black stores, community, that family-oriented vibe. We're missing that, we need that for our people. So, go for it."
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