Courtney Howells doesn’t want to spend her days working in a clothing store. As much as she loves clothing, she describes her ideal workspace as more of a laboratory.
That’s part of why the 31-year-old started her own brand, The Dope Game, in 2009.
Howells had always been interested in creating T-shirts to match popular sneakers, such as Air Jordans. After positive feedback from her peers, she began designing clothing, stickers and other products, eventually selling them online and at pop-up shops.
Today, the soft-spoken designer sits inside a coffee shop, wearing jogger pants, a denim jacket and red-and-black Air Jordan 4s. The Baton Rouge native exudes an aura of calmness, and it’s reflected in her easygoing style.
“I always knew I wanted to do something with fashion, even in high school,” she says. “My mom has these old fashion sketches that she had drawn in college, but I think she wanted the more stable career, [so] she majored in biology. [For me] it was kinda just always that [idea of,] ‘I want to be a fashion designer, and nothing’s going to stop me.’”
In 2008, Howells graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising. In 2015, she returned to college to study graphic design. While she was already a self-taught graphic designer, Howells says she wanted to learn more to improve her skills and brand.
Frequently incorporating popular figures from the ’90s in her designs—including rapper and record producer Missy Elliott and the late Olympic track and field champion, Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner—Howells says her design inspiration comes from music, movies, current events and her surroundings.
Louisiana’s influence on her designs is displayed on items such as her Voodoo Chips T-Shirt, inspired by New Orleans-based Zapp’s Potato Chips. She replaced the original Zapp’s logo with the word “dope.”
“The main thing Dope offers Baton Rouge is a lifestyle brand,” Howells says. “Having a local brand that the community can be proud of. You can wear it and rep your city. You’re able to say, ‘I have a homegrown brand.’”
Photo by Adam Vo / Courtesy Courtney Howells
Photo by Adam Vo / Courtesy Courtney Howells
Photo by Adam Vo / Courtesy Courtney Howells
While she doesn’t envision herself working from a storefront, she says she realizes the importance of having a physical space in order for The Dope Game to grow. She uses pop-up shops in Baton Rouge and New Orleans as a way for customers to purchase and physically see her clothing.
Howells wants not only to work from a place where she can sell her designs but also to have a space for herself and other local makers.
“I would like to offer [Baton Rouge] a creative space,” Howells says. “Hopefully in the future there will be a physical creative space where people can come in to do graphic design, screen printing, photography: a Dope studio—that’s my ultimate goal.”
In addition to creating designs, Howells is working to expand her brand through projects like her latest clothing and accessories line, Runners. Howells says she also wants to encourage others to create and to follow their passions.
“It means something to me,” she says, “when other people will say, ‘Seeing you do this, I knew I could do it, too.’” thedopegame.com
This article was originally published in the August 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.
