Meet Delena Mobley and Kim Blessing | dom+bomb Co-founder/CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Delena Mobley and Kim Blessing, and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Delena and Kim, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We were working for a public health consultation firm, both in the communications department, and we became good friends. Delena (dom) went back to school (in the pandemic!) to get her master’s degree, and when she was done, we came to the same conclusion – that we wanted to start a business together. We were certain about what we wanted to create even if we didn’t know what we were going to sell. We were a growing conversation about the growth of alcohol-free queer spaces and how we needed more spaces that are enthusiastically safe and joyful for LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC, and any combination of our communities. Over the course of many conversations and thoughtfulness, we decided to launch a fashion brand.

We both struggled most of our lives to find stylish plus size clothes. In both of our cultures, clothing is a way to express ourselves, and in many ways, stand up to the oppression we face. It’s about making a statement and communicating our true selves. We decided we wanted to make fun clothes that fit a wide range of bodies and didn’t have gender categories.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our sizing and our values set us apart from other brands. We create clothes in a size range (5XL-XS) that most companies don’t offer, so more people can find clothes that fit. We also work to promote gender euphoria and break down the gender binary. Anyone can wear our clothes, and we offer tailoring and styling services to anyone, including people who are thinking about transitioning, are in the process of transitioning, or have already done it. We just launched a streetwear line called “Read and Take Heed”. Our clothes all boldly communicate how we should be treated.

Fashion as an industry is also damaging the planet. Many people have heard of the “clothes desert” in Chile or the blue-jean dyed rivers in South Africa. The pandemic also shined a brighter light on working conditions of garment workers around the world. It’s extremely difficult to create a fully sustainable fashion business in all areas because the systems are designed to exploit. We decided to focus on people and make sure that working conditions were fair. We also look closely at our supply chain and work to ensure that our materials are made in an eco-friendly way.

Our community is what has has gotten us to where we are, no question. The first thing we did when we started was put a call out for fit models. We knew we needed to create our own size chart, and the best way to do that was gather measurement data. The response was amazing! In no time at all, we had 20 fit models, and now we’re up to over 50. The response to our mission and values has been overwhelmingly positive. We have so many people who share their stories – not being able to find clothes that fit, being treated poorly by salespeople, always ordering online because they don’t want to deal with the hassle. We had a client tell us what we do is healing to them. We’re also working with a local nonprofit to provide our services – everything we do is about bringing people together and helping them feel great.

The journey has been fun and exciting, but it has not been easy! We quit our jobs and launched a fashion business in the pandemic, which is full of risk! Delena also went back to school to get a master’s degree while working full time. The pandemic really taught us that there’s no time like the present – we don’t know how much time we have left, and we needed to do something fulfilling. We work hard to lift each other up and be each other’s champion. When we need help, we reach out. We’re lucky to have business mentors and community members who support us, and are there when we need them. The most important thing to remember if you are thinking about starting a business is to don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are people out there who have done it before – you can learn from them.

We are proud of creating a business make people feel loved. We want them to be happy about the time we spent together. It’s really tough out there, so if we can lighten someone’s day, that means the world to us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Lunchbox for wings. We’d also go to This is It! For soul food and Hippin’ Hops brewery for beer tasting. We’d finish out the night at a drag or burlesque show at My Sister’s Room.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of our models and enthusiastic supporters, Ryan Irons, recommended us for this feature. We also wouldn’t have the success we have without our families and community. We have an awesome network of people who believe in us. One of the keys to our success has been our fit models – we’re up to 50 models currently, and we’re still accepting submissions on our website. Our fit models are all different shapes, sizes, genders, to inform our clothing designs and the construction of our size chart.

Everyone who comes into our space has shared frustrations about their shopping experiences and relationships with body image. We have been humbled by our clients’ and fit models’ willingness to share their stories. They inform everything we do. We added tailoring and styling services based on those conversations because we heard from many who want to dress their gender but struggle to find clothes that fit.

Website: www.domandbomb.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/domandbomb

Facebook: www.facebook.com/domandbomb

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/domandbomb

Other: Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/domandbomb

Image Credits
Photographers: Hasson Brigman-Harris and Lisa Harris; Make-up: Octavia Lewis; Styling: Delena Mobley