This kid is dope

Matt Fields is always moving. His hands fidget and ideas sprint through his mind each time he flips through a look book. As the owner of Dope Couture, a fresh new boutique equipped with camel-colored leather couches, fitted T-shirts hanging along the back walls and a separate shoe room, clothes are his passion, not his job. An Indianapolis native and a 2009 Kelley School of Business graduate, his journey began in 2007, but he is just now balancing on the cusp of grand notoriety. After opening his Dope Couture boutique on College Avenue in March, he’s found niche consumers here in Bloomington.

Usually bouncing from one task to the other, on this day, the 23-year-old entrepreneur is in typical form. I found Fields at his boutique dressed in a gray and purple Crooks T-shirt, camouflage shorts, purple Vans sneakers, and an Oakland A’s cap. He’s teaching a coworker to man the desk, checking inventory, updating his schedule on his MacBook Pro, and frequently inspecting his iPhone. Tomorrow he’ll catch an 8 a.m. flight to New York for an exclusive G-Shock press conference featuring a concert by Kanye West. Later this week he’ll do two more interviews and he’s currently getting his store ready for a dance party featuring live DJs.

A collection of hats sit in the middle of the room, on the back wall hang numerous Dope Couture T-shirts, sneakers, skateboards, and RetroSuperFuture sunglasses. From the looks of the gear, store, and our conversation, I was able to see what makes this Dope boy so fresh.

How’d you get started with Dope Couture?

Basically sitting on my girlfriend’s bed and I was like, ‘I want to design some shirts’ and she was like, ‘What, are you trying to make a clothing line?’ She was trying to make fun of me. The following summer I printed out my first shirts. I invested in those T-shirts, which was a rip-off because I spent like 500 bucks for some T-shirts that I ended up giving away. But by giving the shirts away they got to the right people. Boutique owners, in turn, came to me, asked me if I had a line. I didn’t, so I created one and I’ve been pushing and progressing since.

How involved are you in the design process?

I come up with the concept and then Chris Mart, our graphic designer, does the artwork. Sometimes Chris does it all on his own and sometimes I’ll come up with the idea and take it from idea to execution. Most of the time now, our ideas are so much more complicated that we have to have him do it because he’s such a phenomenal artist.

How do you keep everything up and running at such a young age?

There are people in this industry who are so focused on profit and are super on point, but I sort-of let a lot of stuff go. It’s always going to be there. I’m crazy A.D.D. too, so I’m all over the place, but that’s OK because I wear many different hats. One moment I’m chillin’ and then I’m like, oh wait, I’m customer service now too. I’ve got to go check the e-mails and make sure people are getting their shirts and no one’s pissed off.

Why the hell set up your flagship store in Bloomington?

It gives kids a range of products that weren’t previously available in Bloomington and kids appreciate it. Kids come in here and they feel like they’re at home. They feel like they’re back in Boston or Philly or Chicago or New York or Los Angeles and they’re like, ‘this feels like home, I can’t believe this is in Bloomington.’ It needs to be here because there’s nothing here.

I see you also sell skateboards in here. Did you grow up a skater as a kid?

No. I was into a whole bunch of different stuff, but there was definitely a period in my life where I hung out with certain friends and they got me into skateboarding. I’m actually more of like a cruiser than even a skater. I’m not like these kids in Bloomington with real skills. Our models Andy and David – they’re real skaters. They’re real Bloomington kids and they really rip, but I like cruisin’.

So I take it you cruised to class.

Actually, freshman year – my buddy and I – we would push razors to class. You know, the razor scooters.

Really? That couldn’t have been a good look.

We looked like some idiots. It wasn’t until senior year when I started skating to class every day.

Has that influenced your style?

Yeah, it does. There’s “fresh” kids and then there’s “fresh” skater kids and then there’s just grimy skater kids. Sometimes I feel like I could be either because I’ll dress like a grimy skater kid because I don’t want to wear fresh shoes with some fresh grip tape because they’re going to get messed up. I’m going to be sweating out T-shirts and I don’t want to sweat out my good stuff because I want to be able to wear that out. I’ve gotten into the cut-off khaki shorts, skateboard shoes – the shoes with the fat tongue and fat laces. Vans, I’m into Vans hardcore.

So if I’m trying to get my back-to-school outfit, what do I need from Dope Couture?

We’re going to have some artist collaborations with other brands. We’re introducing Play Clothes. Their crew-neck sweaters are really clean. Cr3w, The Hundreds, the San Francisco-based Huf brand, Supra shoes and we’re getting stocked up with SuperFuture sunglasses. We’re really steppin’ it up to where you’re walkin’ into Dope Couture and it’s not just hats, watches, sneakers, and T-shirts. We’re going to carry a full range of products in terms of cut and sew.

So, you’ve got big things on deck. You seem to be on your way to the top.

Once we do cut and sew, that may open people’s eyes even more. I like retail. It’s fun. Really Dope Couture is like a community center for cool people.

Dope Couture, 224 N. College, 325-5719, dopecouture.com