“I had always dreamed of designing clothing,” Kennon said. “But I just never got started while I was so busy working.”
Kennon was born in Dayton, but moved briefly with his family to Nashville when he was a child. The family returned to the Dayton area where Kennon graduated from Centerville High School and in 2018 from Wright State University with a degree in music education.
“I’m the band director at Troy Christian now,” Kennon said. “I also teach music.”
When schools shut down during the pandemic, Kennon found himself with more free time. He taught ensemble classes based on performance and rehearsals so there wasn’t a lot he could do virtually.
He started thinking more about designing clothes.
Over the years, Kennon said he didn’t see a lot of clothing items specifically themed to the Dayton area. For him, Dayton has always felt like home and throughout the times he was away, he said he always felt a calling to return to Ohio and the Dayton area.
He started thinking about Dayton landmarks and history that could be turned into art. He created a name for his new his business - “OpeHio.”
“‘Ope’ is kind of a midwestern exclamation,” Kennon said. “I really wanted to bring more pride to our Dayton community and to show the love I have for my hometown.”
Kennon focused on T-shirts and crew neck and hooded sweatshirts and began experimenting with different colors and designs. He asked his friends for feedback and set up a page on Instagram to showcase his products.
And in December of 2020, he officially launched Opehio.com and his new business.
“I partner with a print company called Sqege Design in Troy to produce my designs,” Kennon said. “One of my band dads is the owner.”
All the designs, though, are Kennon’s own work. He particularly likes the retro and vintage styles in clothing.
“I was planning to just tell people about my product and company and wear the clothing myself to let people know about the business,” Kennon said. “I hoped it would spread from there.”
And it has. Kennon featured his clothing at Springfest in the Burg in Miamisburg in late May and had positive reviews of his hometown clothing designs. He’s working on finding additional partners that would like to display his clothing year-round.
“I’d love to see my designs in local bars, restaurants and spots known for promoting Dayton culture,” Kennon said. “My social media presence is growing steadily.”
In addition to his teaching career, Kennon is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Professional Realty and is on the worship team at his church – Fearless Church in Centerville. He is also married to wife, Mackenzie and they have a cat, Zildjian.
“My entire extended family is here in Dayton, and I have no desire to live anywhere else,” Kennon said. “I like Dayton because it’s small but not too small. I think Dayton is a place where people love to create things and I really like that.”
He doesn’t yet consider Opehio to be a financial pursuit but instead thinks of it as a craft and passion. And most importantly, it brings positive attention to Dayton.
“A lot of people complain about Dayton, and they really don’t need to,” Kennon said. “There are so many great things here and I make my art with this top of mind.”
“I’m glad that other people are also working to make Dayton better and more beautiful,” Kennon said. “I prayed a lot about this venture and God’s plan for me. I don’t get caught up in worrying about whether or not this will work.”
For more information, log on to Opehio.com or @opehiothreads on Instagram
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