Meet Matty Parson of Velvet Ghost Boutique

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matty Parson.

Hi Matty, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
It all started in high school, where I was the only Emo kid in my class since all my friends went to different schools. It wasn’t always great, and I did get bullied for being different. Thankfully that was mostly from other kids and not my classmates. They were pretty chill, with me having colorful hair, wearing all black, and listening to emo, screamo, and hardcore music. My first job out of high school was at a company that sold many brands I loved (Converse, Vans, Sourpuss, Dr. Martens, etc.). They almost exclusively hired people who were part of the emo, metal, and punk scene—like Hot Topic, but the German version. I remember being so excited to be able to work there because, back then, visible piercings and tattoos were a big no-no in the workforce. Unfortunately, this company wasn’t as great as I thought and had a toxic work environment. So, after three years, I quit and had to find a new job. This forced me to dress pretty conservatively. It felt like putting on a costume every day.

Fast forward to more recent years. Many things have changed, including moving to the US, getting married, and having a child. I hit 30, and that’s when I thought, “I’m an adult. I can do whatever I want, and no one can tell me otherwise”. Since then, I’ve been embracing being an “elder emo.” Before opening Velvet Ghost with my husband, I worked as a photographer and tried to incorporate a dark, gothic theme, but it didn’t feel 100% right. After lots of talking and planning, we said “screw it” and went for it. We did the research and found that there wasn’t a place in Clarksville or Nashville that offered what we wanted to do. Of course, a few fantastic places offer gothic-themed items, but we wanted to offer clothes, accessories, and home décor for all the spooky people in our community. And here we are. We opened on August 13, 2022, and we couldn’t be happier with the community’s response.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a niche brand, we initially worried about a lack of need for a boutique-like ours, but everyone has been super welcoming and supportive. Thankfully we haven’t had any significant hurdles opening the store, but opening a business can be scary, and stocking an entire store costs a lot of money upfront. There have been a few unexpected expenses that we didn’t anticipate, but we adapted. So far, so good.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Velvet Ghost Boutique is Clarksville’s first alternative clothing, accessories, and home goods store. Our brand is heavily influenced by the goth, emo, metal, and punk culture. All the brands that we carry are from fellow small businesses, which is important to us. Plus, most of the products are made in the US and Europe. We also love supporting others, which is why we carry items from local makers and artists in our store. What sets us apart from others is that we are size inclusive. We offer clothes in sizes XS to 4XL, with no price difference. Additionally, we do not have a women’s and men’s section and consider all clothing unisex.

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
Being authentic and staying true to the values that our brand stands for. We welcome everyone in our store, regardless of sex, religion, color, sexual orientation, and identity. We believe that everyone has the right to live as they want to, as long as they don’t harm anyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: velvetghostboutique.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/velvetghostshop
• Facebook: facebook.com/velvetghostshop