Meet the Creative Force Behind the Most Stylish Club in Women’s Soccer

A designer’s in-demand NWSL collection draws on each city’s individual vibe.

Dominique "Domo" Wells taps into her time as a DJ to “understand what the cultural gaps are” in each market and then designs accordingly. | Courtesy of Washington Spirit

Dominique “Domo” Wells is the creative force behind the hottest merchandise in the NWSL. The first creative director for the Washington Spirit is a DMV native. She spent a decade as a DJ and would rather talk about the origins of Go-Go music in D.C. than the history of the Capitol. She discusses marketing strategies like they’re album rollouts. But it’s her culture-first mindset that allowed her to transition from playlists in clubs to styling for the pitch. In the process, she’s become a cultural curator for professional women’s soccer.

In May, the Spirit was named the NWSL’s Club Retail MVP. (Yes, it’s an actual award, given out to recognize exceptional sales and engagement with fans.) Washington has six of the top eight best-selling jerseys in the league, with forward Trinity Rodman’s shirt leading the way. It’s worth noting the Spirit doesn’t have six of the top eight players in the league; the kits are just that good. 

Wells is something of an expert on hometowns. Before being recruited by the Spirit, and during her time as a DJ, she also worked for one of the largest streaming platforms in the world producing playlists for local markets. Traveling the country and connecting with audiences through music allowed her to experience what made the local vibe of each city special.

It cultivated a skill set that has allowed Wells to plug into regional markets with ease. “I can look at an entity and understand where the cultural gaps are,” she says. “Being part of those communities and working in the interest of them for such a long time—that’s what I know.”

Wells’s first collection with the Spirit dropped in 2024. | Courtesy of Washington Spirit

Wells started the creative firm Dead Dirt in 2023 as a place to express and explore her interests in fashion. “Sports came to me,” she says. “The Washington Spirit came knocking at my door. But they were trying to do what a lot of sports teams do, which is kind of like these one-off partnerships. I knew that’s not what they needed. That’s not what I needed.”

The NWSL has been growing rapidly since its founding in 2012. It boasted record-breaking attendance during the 2026 opening weekend and has plans to expand to 18 teams by 2028. “[These teams] are like teenagers,” Wells says. “They’re what, 14, 15 years old? They’ve come a long way, but they’ve had to work really hard to maintain stability.”

Many NWSL teams are still working to develop fan bases, the kind of heritage that makes players household names. “At the end of the day, all of these clubs, all of these teams, no matter what they are, what sport they are, they’re a business first and they’re not typically led by [local] people,” says Wells. She believes building a successful brand and recruiting new fans requires tapping into regional markets in an authentic way. It takes time and it takes connectivity.

She pushed back on the Spirit’s initial offer for a single collab with Dead Dirt for a position that allowed her to roll out several capsules over time. For Wells, it was a chance to show her range. For the Spirit, it was a recipe for brand loyalty. Her first collection for the club dropped in 2024.

“[Wells] has helped us establish a look and merchandise brand that speaks to D.C. culture, not only to our hardcore fan base but also to non-sports fans in the DMV,” says Spirit director of marketing Matt Haas.

Wells is interested in clothes that reflect the heartbeat of hometowns. She designs with points of reference that she believes people can see themselves in, the kind of clothes that originate in sport but can be worn anywhere. “I think that’s something that’s been a light bulb for a lot of the teams,” she says. “Because I know fans are going to see this and engage with it because they’re paying attention. I’m really designing for people who might gravitate toward this because it’s cute or it looks good.” In this way, the Spirit—and the NWSL—see Wells’s blend of sports and fashion as an on-ramp for new fans.

Before the start of the season, the NWSL tapped Wells to design merchandise for all 16 teams. The Dead Dirt x NWSL collab features knit polos in unisex sizing with a nod toward each city as Wells sees it—a jersey that she describes as “slightly more luxe” and looks like it was made by someone who grew up in your town. Wells hopes her designs will have success, but not because they’re necessarily commercial. She’s seeking broad appeal in narrow verticals, a “if you know, you know” kind of vibe.

As of mid-June, nearly half of the collab between Wells and the NWSL had sold out, but her Cherry Blossom drop for Washington, which features casual long sleeves alongside more fashion-forward tank tops and killer outerwear, is still available. 

Add to cart … while you still can.

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