Authenticity and Uniqueness in Anime Fashion and Streetwear
Article by Bruce Ayers AKA Lakenzu
There is a growing market in anime inspired clothing within the most recent years with many cosplayers and content creators tapping into it. Fans are starting businesses making shorts, shirts, jackets, skateboards, underwear, lingerie and all manner of clothing, and all other manner of clothing. At Hubtaku we had the amazing opportunity to speak with one of the leaders in this industry, the CEO of Namiwear, Dom Jimenez. Introducing our second guest for Nimbus Narrative, a black owned and operated one man brand, here to bring you the best in anime/pop culture streetwear.
Humble beginnings
Getting the chance to sit down with Dom, the first thing we wanted to know was how he got started and what was the moment where he knew this was what he wanted to do. Dom said he started making clothes when he was thirteen years old, because he did not have enough money to buy school clothes. However, this turned into an opportunity as his classmates loved his clothes and started asking him to make them some. Then he started taking it seriously when he got into art school after high school and then everything took off.
Namiwear does a great job of utilizing those within the community as models. Online, you can find Voice Actor Zeno, Influencer Krystal, and others. When asked about any collaborations, he stated he has no interest in collaborating with major brands, but would like to see Lil Uzi model some of his clothing. Overall, Dom stated he prides himself on his originality and perhaps the authenticity and uniqueness of his product could be lost when outside brands or concepts peak into it.
More than just clothing
When Dom was asked about his other talents, he mentioned being good at basketball, an “amateur pro bowler” and most surprisingly having written music professionally for a few years. It’s no surprise he has those other talents, because Namiwear currently has two mangas in development and you can purchase the first few chapters on their site. The first being “SoulxSearch” which is about a young boy named Ace who takes a drug that forces him to win back pieces of his soul and return home. The second is “Tenpinz!” which is about a young man who discovers a gift for bowling and battles the power of despair. In addition to that he also is a player of the card game D-Spirits. Him and its creator are good friends and can be seen often playing it at cons.
Chapter 1 of both mangas are available to read, for free!
Check them out now:
Would you change anything?
Wrapping up the interview, we asked what he would do differently if he knew what he knew before. Sharing the mindset of many successful people he said he would not change a thing, because the journey he had was so important. To put it in his exact words “Not too much I would change. I really did enjoy the journey and it gave me a lot to do and there is still a lot to learn.” It was a wonderful opportunity to get the chance to speak with Dom of Namiwear and thank you all for reading this article and for choosing us to be your Otaku Hub. Check out our other Nimbus Narrative pieces!
(Left to Right) HBTKU TEAM: Vonny, Toni, Brandon, Tammy in Namiwear Merch!
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