Shinya is a relatively new brand that is based out of the Los Angeles area. The brand was created last year where they showcase their take on the whole street wear scene, pulling elements from different cultures and artists to create something unique. You may think, is Shinya just another street wear brand? Is it just more clothes to stock up in your closet? It is, but Shinya is more than just that.
What do you think of when you hear the word, Shinya?
Here is an interview with the owners of the brand, explaining all their is to know about the new clothing brand, Shinya and more.
INTERVIEW WITH SHINYA
Hey guys! Shinya is a very interesting name to call your brand. How did you guys come up with the name?
Its inspired by late nights and we wanted a word that would represent it. Shinya means midnight or pure black. We’re always up late at night working on cars, drawing or playing a game. We always find the early mornings and late nights to be our most productive times.
I love your logo! How did you guys come up with that logo?
I have an affinity to “symmetrical” logos.
We wanted to make a strong and bold logo that could be used in various ways and wouldn’t look out of place.
It was inspired by the japanese folklore legend of the bakaneko. The mythology behind it is super interesting and has lots to do with our designs. You’ll find small illusions to it.
His name is Jiro. He like fish & I assume a cat dreams of sushi.
What were some of your troubles starting out as a new brand? What did you not expect when you guys started?
Grabbing that initial exposure and gaining trust with customers for the first time is/was the biggest challenge. Having a lower follower count you really need to convince people of your quality and that you aren’t just some fly by night brand.
not expect? we just started…this is a kind of question for further down the line for us. Everything is unexpected right now and we love it. There’s always a surprise.
What was your first design that you guys created for Shinya? How did the community respond to that product? How did you like it?
Looking back at our initial designs they did not fare too badly, I think now looking back there may have been things we could have done better, but I do not regret it. We haven’t had too many releases thus far. Probably made way more stickers than we planned on initially, but everything is a learning process and we just tried as many new things as we could.
What are some of your inspirations behind some of your designs?
A lot of influence is things that I see in Anime and Manga that just look really cool artistically. Strong bold shapes and colors as that are also delicate at the same time. As well as cars and cool clothing.
We seek to combine all of our diverse cultures that make up the brand and infuse them into our designs. We’re a mix of backgrounds over here at Shinya. From Korea to Colombia.
Of all of your designs, which ones are some of your favorites and why?
I like every design we make, because it means that each time we release something our benchmark becomes even higher and will only make our products better.
We only design items we would personally use, so we don’t really have favorites.
If you were to do more collaborations with other brands, who would you love to do one with? (it can be with an anime brand or not)
Adidas, Bape, Hello Kitty, Splatoon.
Youth Machine, Off White, Bandai
Anime has become such a big part in all of our lives. What anime series started it all for you guys?
Mahou sensei negima (the very first season) was the first anime I watched outside of public broadcasting but DBZ was the reason i started drawing.
The first anime I ever watched was Black Butler. Saw the first episode and watched every episode in one night. I started watching One Piece around the same time.
What are some of your favorite anime series and characters and why?
Initial D, It’s a fight for first place But in no particular order, mogi, iketani, itsuki, ryosuke, kyoko. Probably because these characters had the most heartbreaking stories. Tengen toppa gurren lagann, in the end kittan was the coolest. I had a long list of anime I loved but these are just the first that came to mind.
My favorites would have to be HOTD, FLCL & Bebop. I also still read One Piece every week. I think character wise Faye or Nico Robin would be my top too. I love their checkered pasts and how they change and adapt across the length of the series. I also have a huge list, but these are the ones that are top of mind right now for me.
How do you define success for Shinya? Where do you see your brand going in the future?
Keep making what you want for yourself, if you’re true to yourself, people will follow.
I think i’ll know what success is for Shinya when we get there. There isn’t a definitive goal in mind that I want to limit ourselves to. We will be the brand that pierces the heavens.
I’m excited for their brand to bloom and expecting great stuff out of them! Check out their social media down below to be glued to them and find out all the new things they have in store for y’all!
SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: shinya.co
Facebook: facebook.com/ShinyaApparel
Instagram: @shinya.co
