Detroit designer Tommey Walker is a Wayne State Warrior and he’s about to tell the world through his latest venture. The creator of the now-notable Detroit vs. Everybody (DVE) brand has parlayed the guttural feeling of determination and pride into a new slogan “Wayne State versus Everybody.”
“Detroit Versus Everybody represents a city pride we can call our own, and virtually everyone from this city has a connection to Wayne State,” Walker says. “Whether you went here or not, everyone is rooting for Wayne State and feels some sense of pride.”
In the months since a DVE black hoodie was presented to TV host Steven Colbert, a wide array of celebrities — from athletes Nate Burleson and Reggie Bush to country music star and "American Idol" judge Keith Urban to Detroit rapper Big Sean — have been seen sporting the brand. Walker has been inundated with licensing requests. The opportunities are endless: professional sports team versus everybody, cancer and causes versus everybody, kids wear and pet wear, but Walker wanted Wayne State to be among the first licensees.
Walker attended Wayne State from 2004-07, attacking general ed courses and dabbling in package design. The graphic design career he began in high school was already thriving and with a client list of over 200 — including Def Jam records — the demands were too much. He left Wayne State to work full time, but he continues to feel connected to the university — and has promised his mother he will finish his undergrad studies.
“This is my alma mater and it’s a historic part of Detroit; it’s the perfect way to continue to pay homage to our city.” The shirts will soon be available online, at the campus bookstore and at Walker’s new storefront just off campus in Eastern Market.
The DVE brand was born out of an “Ah ha” moment that happened as Walker was traveling across the country and the Kwame Kilpatrick trial was headline news everywhere he went. Walker realized Detroit’s influence reaches far beyond Michigan, and most of it was not positive. He even met people from Detroit who were talking negatively about the city and its chance of revitalization. At the same time, Walker went through a trial in his personal life, and says he learned that although it may be a cliché, ‘you can’t love others till you love yourself.’
“I immediately thought what holds true for individuals also holds true for cities – Detroiters have to love Detroit, they have to have pride and be unapologetic in it. You can’t be with us and against us at the same time,” he explains.
So how did that all of that turn in to just three words on a T-shirt? Although he had never produced clothing before, in 2012 the designer of record albums and posters bought a failing screen print business and started inking simple black hoodies. The simple message immediately hit home and the now-29 year-old designer is the holder of an iconic brand. It even inspired an Eminem song by the same name on the artist’s latest album SHADY XV.
“It’s for everybody, like it says. We get customers complaining their sons steal their shirt, and their dads steal their shirt,” Walker says.
He’s an entrepreneur with two stores, thousands of followers and a lot on his mind – especially one very important promise he made. As he ends a conversation with visitors to his Eastern Market space, Walker looks down at the Wayne State vs. Everybody shirt he is modeling and says “I got the registrar’s number on speed dial – I gotta get back in.”
The article "Wayne State vs. Everybody = Pride" was originally published in the Summer 2015 edition of Wayne State Magazine.