The Story of Us

1984

​In 1984, Dionies was just a sketch on paper.  Dionies pronounced [dahy-oh-nees], is the concept of young Xavier Grimes who in 1984 chose a name that he defined as "Great Success". He would soon learn of the Greek origin of the name, derived from the name of the God of Wine, Dionysus. 

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Fascinated with the latest brands of sports shoes, he would constantly draw shoes and study the descriptions associated with each shoe and the material, to incorporate those ideas into his design. The shoe designs became a living being that consumed him to learn more about the process of shoe design and manufacturing. He began learning the intricate parts of a shoe, such as a heel cap and toe cap, and how to label the different shoe parts with various descriptions so his designs could explain themselves without saying a word.

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With no computer or access to the Internet during this time, he did extensive research on how to manufacture his shoe design to introduce them to the world. But with limited resources, all he could do to keep his vision alive was to continue sketching shoes, which he drew thirty designs over twenty years. Inspired by the rise of FUBU, in 1997, Xavier brought life into Dionies as he self-­funded a short line of t­-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and baseball caps, which he was able to put in a local store on consignment. And he was also successful at providing a local up-­coming rap artist named Young Lad with merchandise to help push the product.

1997 Introductory Line

​During this time, his entire concept behind selling Dionies was direct mail via mail order catalog because there was no Internet to sell online. He started his business venture by purchasing a bulk mailing list, P.O. Box, obtained a 1­-800 number and created what he considered a catalog - a two-fold black and white brochure. He figured the nearest shopping mall or shopping center for rural America was maybe 20 miles, and the next big thing to ordering sports apparel was the East Bay catalog. Hoping to capture this market with his small inventory of Dionies apparel, Xavier hoped to cater to an untapped market he thought big brands weren't reaching during the time.

After a valued effort to make his dream come true and follow behind the footsteps of other known brands, Dionies couldn't gain traction.  For 20 years, the brand was shelved and reintroduced to the market in 2019. As seen on Master P Reviews Episode 56, in 2021.