Mo Denton’s brand of clothing, 24.7 Dreams, helps people think about and realize their dreams.
For Mo Denton, football was his entire life. He had a dream of making it into the NFL.
He didn’t make it, but instead of being disappointed, Denton channeled his energy into a brand to promote people to pursue their own dreams on a daily basis.
Denton, a 2013 OU alumnus, previous Bobcat football player and CEO/owner of 24.7 Dreams, opened his store, the 24.7 Dreams Lifestyle Boutique at 13 W. Stimson Ave. on Feb. 24.
The store sells what Denton calls “athletic apparel, lifestyle apparel and sophisticated urban streetwear” in the form of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants and hats that are branded with the 24.7 Dreams logo. Many of the products have sayings such as “positive minds positive vibes,” “power moves only,” and “manifest your destiny.” Denton said he tries to keep his clothes in a reasonable price range for college students, with T-shirts selling for about $20 and hoodies for about $40.
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Denton said it was his own experiences playing football that opened the door to the rest of his brand.
“I figured every day was like a football thing until now, so I was like, ‘That’s a 24/7 thing, that’s my dream,’ so I’m like, ‘Hey, 24.7 Dreams,’ ” Denton said. “I’m building a culture founded on the philosophy of manifesting one's dreams to reality.”
As for his target demographic, Denton said it’s mostly youth and college-aged people, but he also has kids’ apparel, and the real target audience is anyone pursuing their dream.
“I want to promote people from all different aspects of life to pursue their dreams on a day-to-day basis, no matter if you’re a college athlete, or if you’re in business, law, marketing or photography,” Denton said.
Demetrios Prokos, owner of Prokos Rentals, rents the space on Stimson to Denton. Prokos said Denton reminds him of himself when he was starting out, and that he believes Denton will do well with his business.
“I see him as a young, hardworking entrepreneur,” Prokos said. “He’s very creative and has some really good ideas. I believe as long as he keeps that attitude, his business is going to do very well.”
Denton does all of his own screen printing in house, as well as photography and marketing.
Denton has hired around 10 interns, including Zari Rose, a senior studying acting and production design. Rose said it’s been great working with Denton so far.
“He’s so open-minded, he’s so ready to listen to other points of view,” Rose said. “He knows exactly what he wants and what he wants to do with the store in particular, and make this store be a thing for the students and a thing for the townspeople to have.”
Denton said he wants to make the space more than just a clothing store; he wants to make it an experience. A pool table and a House of the Dead arcade machine can be found in the store, plus an air hockey table and a pool table in the back. Behind the main boutique is a space that has been used for hosting artists and events recently, but Denton said he would like to transform it into more of a “creative lab” space where people can study, socialize, network and talk about their passion and dreams.
Brooklyn Phillips, a junior studying nursing, said she would likely check out the store soon, and was interested in the brand.
“I guess if you wear something that kind of reminds you about your dream every day, your mindset will be more focused on your dream instead of other things,” Phillips said.
At the end of the day, Denton said it’s people’s passions that continues to inspire him.
“It’s not a specific person, not a specific thing, but passion that inspires me, the passion that people have to make their dreams come true,” Denton said.
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