NEW BRAND ALERT! Lotus Eater Upcoming!

INTERVIEW WITH LOTUS EATER

What is Lotus Eater Apparel? How did you come up with the name of the brand? 

To be honest, the name Lotus Eater took weeks to come up with. All I knew was I wanted to make something I love – fashion. I spent a long time staring at a ceiling; I was in a rut, so I turned to music for inspiration. Listening to my playlist while sitting at a Starbucks one afternoon, the song Lotus Eater came on by Muramasa. I had no idea what it meant at first, but it was interesting to see this vague combination of words put together. I researched and read the story. Although the term Lotus Eater is viewed negatively towards a group indulging in pleasure rather than concern, I felt otherwise and empathized with the inhabitants. I feel like we’re so involved with our work life and worries of the future that we often forget to just enjoy the moment for what it is. Life is too short to not appreciate what is in front of us while it lasts.

How would you describe the brand or the style of the brand? 

Lotus Eater isn’t exactly labeled as a streetwear brand, but it does take a lot of influence from Japanese pop-culture and the street scene. If I had to say, it would be closer to lifestyle wear with the influence of elements from both street and the subculture of anime. I pay homage to the old, illustrating my motifs through a modern minimalistic look. I don’t convey my ethos clearly using words, but instead through the expression of art. Just like art, I feel like life should be simple.

What are some of your favorite pieces that you’ve created? 

I only make a few pieces at a time, so I feel like I would really need to like it in order to actually feel comfortable selling it; I know that is not always the case when it comes to what actually sells. If I had to choose a favorite? It would be my Shinjuku Station hoodie, and also the Anya peanut stickers. I wouldn’t call myself a sticker business, but I have been collecting a lot of stickers lately and wanted to give it a shot. One of our customers bought the Anya sticker from this AX and made a tiktok that went kinda viral so I’m pretty grateful to her for the exposure. Shoutout to @melanieqngo on Tiktok for the vid!

What made you want to start this brand? How did your brand first start? 

It is kind of funny. Before Lotus Eater, I have actually been exhibiting at anime cons as a body pillow vendor – Waifu Channel – since around 2013 starting with AX. I loved being involved in the anime community in some way. It was fun, but over time I felt like the daki business didn’t really feel personal to who I was. I was often introduced to others as the body pillow guy, which wasn’t how I wanted to be remembered. Don’t get me wrong. It was interesting being the one that sells waifus. I don’t mind being referenced to that, but it didn’t define me. Around 2018, my mom passed. This was the wake up call that made me want to stop my old business. It is the same reason that made me resonate with the name Lotus Eater so much. I felt like I was not able to fully enjoy or appreciate the little moments with her until it was too late. Life is too short to not focus on what makes you happy. Although I did not want to make the brand too personal, I did want to reflect a part of my ethos in the design.

What was your very first piece that your brand created? Did it turn out exactly how you wanted it to be?

I had a few ideas to start, but I felt like I scrapped more ideas than I did actually produce. One of my first designs I did physically create was my “relax” hoodie for my SS19 line. It went through a few revisions, so I turned to my friends for advice. What completed it was asking Edward from Wooji about his opinion. For the original design of the hoodie, it was a back box logo design, but he suggested I remove the box and place it in the bottom left corner. I’m pretty grateful for that because it turned out a lot better than my first draft.

If you were able to collaborate with any other brands, artists, or people, who would you love to collaborate with? 

I love all my peers in the convention space. They are really paving the way when it comes to building and expanding the foundations of their own brand. Seeing them work gives me motivation to pave my own path and focus on my own creations. When it comes to artists, I would actually love to work with KYNE. I only discovered him recently around late 2021, but I love his works and the way he incorporates elements of 80s pop culture with a modern and simple take to his designs. Another artist I also respect is Jun Inagawa. Despite our style and designs being very different, I respect his craft and what he has accomplished despite being much younger than myself. His mix of anime and hip hop subcultures in the form of graffiti-esque art is very appealing to my opposite style of minimalism.

Do you have any future plans or collaborations in the works? 

No collaborations planned, but I do want to take the brand more seriously. When I first started Lotus Eater, I was also balancing real estate with clothing, but slowly started to go back to real estate when covid took a hit on the convention scene. Now that we’re coming out of covid in 2022, I am giving it my all again so I can further express myself and connect with the community that I love.

What are some of your favorite anime/manga series?

I’m definitely a fan of the old school style 90’s anime. I love YuYu Hakusho, Cardcaptor Sakura, Tenchi Muyo, Ranma ½ to name a few while growing up. I feel nostalgic, but I do miss the times when life was a bit more simple.

What was the first anime/manga that you saw that got you excited to be in this wonderful community we are in?

I remember always staying up to watch YuYu Hakusho and Tenchi Muyo on Toonami as a kid . This was before I understood what anime really was. I always thought it was just part of American cartoons. It wasn’t until middle school that I really started binge watching anime like Inuyasha or Naruto on old school Youtube where the episodes were often divided into three parts per episode. Free time was all I had as a kid.

If you have any words of advice for people who want to start a brand or want to get into designing, what would you say?

If you really want to start a brand but don’t know where to start; get uncomfortable and start dipping your toes in the water. Don’t expect to know everything before you actually decide to take action. You’ll gain much more experience learning as you go. If you’re passionate about it, you’ll learn to enjoy the process.