Building an Anime Streetwear Brand From £1K | MNMLST | Nani Talks Episode 14.1

Anime merch used to mean slapping a loud character on a tee. MNMLST is rewriting that.

In this episode of Nani Talks, the only anime podcast from the culture, we sit down with Jabz and Raihan, the two founders behind MNMLST: an anime-inspired streetwear brand built out of Camden, North London. They started with about a thousand pounds each, no investor, no safety net, just two anime fans who wanted to wear their love for the culture without it feeling cringe.

We get into the real stuff: turning an idea into an actual clothing brand, designing faith-consciously (why their characters often have closed eyes and why iconography beats big graphics), the line between fashion and merch, what it really costs to license anime IP, how a garment is actually manufactured, and giving back through the Liberation Collection and youth workshops in Camden.

If you have ever thought about starting a brand, or you just love anime fashion done properly, this one is for you.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Who makes the best anime streetwear?
00:55 From idea to a real clothing brand
01:59 MNMLST origin story: two guys, a dream, £1K each
04:59 What the name means: if you know, you know
05:58 Faith and design: why the eyes stay closed
08:21 What sets MNMLST apart from cringe anime merch
10:38 Inside the design process
13:13 Fashion vs merch: "we're a brand, not merch"
13:32 Streetwear now, high fashion later
13:58 Camden roots and London style
15:55 Giving back: the Liberation Collection and youth workshop
18:19 Clothing as Nakama: community and meaning
20:46 Licensing anime IP: can you, and what does it cost?
23:38 Manufacturing: building a garment from scratch
29:52 IP clearance and copyright: what you can and can't do
32:57 The business reality, and why they do it
35:39 What's next: drops, the Varsity jacket, One Piece summer
37:08 Partners, support and the entrepreneur's lifestyle

SHOP MNMLST
Website: https://mnmlst.co.uk
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialmnmlst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialmnmlst/
(MNMLST = "minimalist" without the vowels)

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#AnimeStreetwear #MNMLST #NaniTalks #AnimeFashion #ClothingBrand

TC The Vision: http://instagram.com/tcthevision
The Quantum One: http://instagram.com/the_quantum_one
Slick: http://instagram.com/slickcrafted
Junior: http://instagram.com/juniorox_
Tun3s: http://instagram.com/_stay_tun3d
Jazzy: http://instagram.com/_jazmine4

Producer | Director: http://instagram.com/theblackkstar
Sound Design: http://instagram.com/kayper.d.w
Visual Architect: http://instagram.com/tcthevision