[MAGAZINE] CONVERSING WITH JOE FRESHGOODS

DESIGNER. MANAGER. FATHER. THE DBM CO-FOUNDER MADE IN A CHICAGO HOOD

Arriving at Chicago’s Fat Tiger Works in Logan Square, I’m greeted at the door by co-owner Joe Freshgoods, also the co-founder of clothing line Dope.BoyMagic [DBM]. For the past few years, Freshgoods has been making a name for himself both within the Chicago hip hop scene and within the (international) streetwear world. Freshgoods is doing it right, not only representing the Windy City that he calls home, but also receiving co-signs from nationwide names like Wiz Khalifa, Chuck Inglish, Casey Veggies and Two-9. Inside the store, T-shirts and jackets rest on hangers while high-resolution photos from past look books are framed to the wall. Next to a neon red sign that reads “Made in a Chicago Hood,” issues of Complex Magazine are scattered about. Rae Sremmurd’s debut album soundtracks the movements.

When Freshgoods shakes my hand, he tells me that he’s going upstairs to get ready, taking his 18-month-old daughter Zoe with him. 20 minutes later, he comes back down to the store. He and his daughter are both dressed to the nines, with Freshgoods rocking an orange raincoat and a camo hoodie and his daughter wearing a DBM Squad jacket and size one Timberlands.

Letting his daughter loose inside the store, she pounds on the mirror and points to herself, repeating the word “baby.” When Freshgoods wants to get Zoe to come to him, he says, “Zoe, heart,” and points to his heart. She points back to her heart and repeats his words, slowly walking his way. When she is left to her own devices, she runs around the store, blowing kisses to the employees and co-owners that listen to trap music and discuss women.

Photos by Bryan Allen Lamb
Words by Ben Niespodziany

This is an extract from the Spring Summer 15 Issue of Viper Magazine. Read more from the magazine here. Buy physical and digital copies here.