Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
1. Visionaire
The website may seem like the product of a seasoned style professional, but 20-year-old owner Demetrius Weatherby hardly has the résumé of a fashion mogul. What he lacks in experience, though, he makes up for with ambition. He talks about wanting to be a millionaire, but explains that Visionaire is about more than just making money. “I want to inspire people through fashion,” says Weatherby, who lives in Westwood. The brands on his website, which launched in October 2014, hail from places like Australia, Paris, and California. Each piece reflects Weatherby’s own “urban, but trendy” style, which is influenced by hip-hop artists like Tyga and Big Sean. He is a long way from his first milli, but with an Instagram following approaching 10,000, he’s on his way. visionaireco.com
2. Durham Dept.
For a self-employed graphic designer, losing out on six-figures-worth of client work has a way of shifting priorities. That’s what led Austin Dunbar to create Durham Dept., a small Covington storefront at the corner of Pike and Madison that he renovated himself. The shop, which takes Dunbar’s middle name, features four custom-welded racks of graphic tees, tanks, and sweatshirts designed by Dunbar in his upstairs studio. Come this fall, he plans to add more outerwear to the collection. Dunbar has also made sure the price point fits the city, one the former Army brat has fallen in love with. “Covington has been under the shade tree of Cincinnati,” says Dunbar. “I like being the underdog.” durhamdept.com
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
3. Righno
When stores throw around buzzwords like movement and lifestyle, it’s easy to roll your eyes at the branding exercise. But at Righno, an Indianapolis-based menswear company that opened its third store in Over-the-Rhine, the terms seem to fit. The Vine Street boutique sells funky threads—Velcro shoes, sleeveless hoodies, and polka-dot shirts from brands like Ben Sherman, Vitaly, and WeSC—aimed at an aesthetic with a “West Coast and European twist.” The shop has the requisite GQ-esque accessories (duffle bags, tortoise-shell sunglasses) to hit lifestyle quotient. Just remember: Only real men buy eucalyptus soy candles and $16 facial scrub. righno.com
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
4. Victor Athletics Club:
Look past the $50 price tag on the plain white T-shirt. Instead, pinch the sleeve and feel the 100-percent organic cotton. It is thick and sturdy, as if it could withstand the wheels of a semi-truck. This is the kind of quality at OTR’s Victor Athletics Club, brainchild of the people behind Noble Denim. Yes, the selvedge denim jeans costing upwards of $285 are available at the store, but the Victor Athletics brand French Terry sweatshirts, sweatpants, and hoodies come in under $100. Plus they are American-sourced and come with a guilt-free conscience: “We personally know every human being involved in the process,” says store manager Alex Hatcher. Check out the fall line too, which will likely feature chinos and denim jackets. victorathletics.com
Photograph by Aaron M. Conway
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