Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan aka Jun Jun Carino.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jonathan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in the 90’s, My brothers and I were heavily influenced a lot by Hip-Hop, Martial Arts, and Anime. That was majority of our lives. We would travel a lot all across the states doing tournaments. I remember that I would steal my older brother’s ten second anti-skip CD player and sneak off somewhere by myself to listen to Dj Rectangles Ill Rated mixtape while I warmed up and stretched before my fights to get into the zone. And whenever we were home, we would watch kung-fu movies and anime as much as possible since we didn’t have cable. Or we would go to my cousin Jay’s house (who was also into the same stuff as us) to watch PrideFC.
I would ask my other cousins (shout out to the Tolentino’s) who lived in Japan at that time to record anime onto video cassette tapes and send it back to the states so we can watch it. It was funny because there wasn’t any subtitles so we didn’t understand anything at all. But it was ok because it was Dragon Ball Z and the fight scenes were dope. When I was a kid where I was growing up, martial arts and anime were often looked at funny and ridiculed by other races. But now with the rise of streetwear brands, I wanted to create something that was unique and a big part my life and then transfer it to my clothing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not gonna lie, when I first started, it was going really smooth and well. I was traveling a lot and gaining a lot of recognition and followers on social media. I was growing at a really good rate. Then I started getting too comfortable and was not taking the business as serious. I lost focus. I found myself stagnant and the pressure of the brand becoming more recognized kept getting bigger and bigger. I had to find the initial flame I had when I first started. You get back what you put in. If you don’t have the same motivation and passion when you first started then stop.
But recently, I found my vision again and excited to what’s to come in the near future. I would be a lot further than were I’m at right now if I continued to be focused but it’s ok. The struggle I went through humbled me and was able to give me a life lesson that was essential to learn. I’m grateful for it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I run a clothing brand called Nandesuka. (Naan-des-kah) It means “What is it?” in Japanese. I specialize in Asian pop culture & anime streetwear. What I’m most proud of as a brand is that I got to blend different cultures. I got to mix hip hop and geek culture in a way they can express themselves freely in the streetwear scene and also provide a lane of interest if they want to know about more Anime or Asian culture. I want to provide a sense of aura or attitude whoever wears my product.
“Defining streetwear is very difficult. A lot of people see t-shirts and ball caps and think its hip hop or skater style. But streetwear is simply the merchandise associated with an attitude.” – Bobby Hundreds.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success is not a measurement of money or fame. Don’t get me wrong; those are nice rewards but it ain’t the end all be all. Know what I mean? Some people doesn’t even want those and I still consider them successful. My cousin Son of Ran was one of those people who wasn’t in the game for money and fame but yet he did his craft for the art and to spread his message. I was always amazed and inspired every time I went to one of his shows and how many people came out to see him. So to me, Even if I have just a handful of people who believes in the message that I am trying to portray in my brand, then I would still consider that a success. Don’t let others define your success. Be true to yourself and be genuine. People will see right through you if you ain’t as long as you’re content on what you do then it’s ok. If not, then keep striving and pushing.
I’ve been very lucky and blessed through the teachings and guidance from my siblings and cousins. They influenced me to who I am today that allows me to have the vision of what I want to do and create. I’m lucky to have the Gutierrez, Cabauatan, Tolentino, Ibarra, and Leary’s as my family.
Pricing:
- Lucky Cat Hoodie – $89.99
- Saiyan 59 Baseball Jersey – $84.99
- Akuma Baseball Jersey – $84.99
- No Ramen No Life Tee – $29.99
- Tofu Shop Panda Tee – $29.99
- Akatsuki Scoop Tee – $29.99
- Nani TF Snap Back Hat – $29.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Nandesuka.clothing
- Email: JunJun@Nandesuka.clothing
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/Nandesuka_clothing
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/Nandesuka_brand
Image Credit:
Michael Solon, Brian Calilung
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
