About Us
Art background
My childhood was a full of colors and creativity, all thanks to the magic of anime. I spent hours upon hours tracing Dragon Ball posters, mesmerized by the way the characters seemed to leap off the page. My dad, a master of marker art, was my ultimate inspiration. Watching him bring X-Men characters to life on paper was like witnessing a superpower in action. His love for collecting cards and comics only fueled my own passion, and soon our house was overflowing with vibrant characters and epic storylines.
As I entered elementary school, I started experimenting with my own art, sketching my classmates as cartoon characters and creating personalized portraits that would leave them beaming with a smile. It was always cool to see my friends reactions when I handed them a drawing of themselves in a superhero pose or with a goofy grin.
It wasn't until high school that I discovered graffiti art, it introduced me to the world of line weight and perspective. The bold lines, the vibrant colors, and the way the letters seemed to pop, it all captivated me. As I enhanced my skills in shading and composition, I began to see the art in a different light.
After high school, I went onto self-directed learning, devouring YouTube tutorials and soaking up knowledge from fellow artists, diving into Digital Art. The more I learned, the more I realized just how much more there was to learn, and that realization only fueled my passion even further. With each passing day, my art began to take on a life of its own.
Photoshop background
My journey into graphic design started long before I ever touched Adobe Photoshop. It began at home, watching my dad spark joy through creativity. He used to make fun custom T-shirts for family and friends during the holidays, printing designs that always brought people together. He also made printable covers for CDs, decorating discs filled with photos and videos he saved from when my siblings and I were growing up. He would turn all those memories into slideshows, stitching together our moments so the whole family could sit down and relive them.
Seeing him create something meaningful out of simple tools stuck with me, which inspired me into learning how to graphic design.
By the time I reached the 8th grade, I started experimenting with design myself using a program called Corel Draw 8. That was my first real taste of photoshop, before I even knew what Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator were. I spent hours trying things, failing, learning, and accidentally discovering new tricks along the way.
Everything changed in high school when I met another graphic designer in a random chat room on AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). He introduced me to Photoshop and Illustrator, and it opened up a completely new world for me. From there, I couldn’t stop creating. I designed school projects, customized layouts for MySpace, Xanga, Asian Avenue and Tumblr pages, and even made album covers for local music artists, always hoping one of them would tip generously.
In 2015, my design work took another step forward when I started creating shirts and apparel for the car crew I became a part of. That experience taught me a lot about production, branding, and how people connect with what they wear.
All of these moments, my dad’s influence, the early experimentation, the online mentorship, the hustle, the trial and error, stacked on top of each other. Piece by piece, they shaped my skills and my vision.
And ultimately, that path is what led to Anime Icon becoming what it is today. Every mistake, every late-night project, every experiment along the way helped build the foundation for it.
the brand
Anime has always been more than entertainment, it’s been a teacher, a guide, and a companion through life. Growing up immersed in countless anime worlds, I realized that every series carried a deeper message, a lesson about resilience, friendship, pain, hope, or the power of believing in yourself. Every character arc felt intentional, every struggle had meaning, and every victory revealed a reminder that we, too, can overcome our own battles.
I started this brand with the belief that clothing can be more than just something you wear, it can be something you feel. I wanted every piece to carry purpose. When someone puts on an apparel, I want them to feel like they’re stepping into life with intention. Like they are the main character of their own story, moving forward even when it’s hard, even when they don’t feel like enough.
Every design is made to connect with a purpose. With technology becoming more popular, and people eyes are on their phones, I wanted to create pieces that will take people attentions away from their phones and spark real life conversations. Behind each graphic, each theme, each stroke the message is to
Stay positive. Keep fighting and overcome your obstacles. You matter more than you know.
Anime Icon isn’t just about style, it’s about reminding the wearer that they are something to somebody. That their presence matters. That even on the days when life gets heavy, they are not alone. Just like anime characters who rise again and again, we want our community to feel empowered to rise, too.
What the Brand Stands For?
Anime Icon stands for positive vibes, deep thoughts, and meaningful connection.
We create apparel that speaks to the heart and pieces that encourage, uplift, and resonate with the struggles and victories of real life. Which is why we put motivational quotes on the sleeves of our apparel. So that you can look at it and remind yourself that life is hard, but you can fight back.
We stand for the quiet battles people fight every day. We stand for the message that everyone deserves to feel seen.
We stand for the truth that no one should face their journey alone.
Our mission is simple. It's to bring awareness through art. To use the influence of anime and the creativity of fashion to spread encouragement, purpose, and emotional strength to everyone who wears our pieces.
Anime Icon is more than a brand. It’s a reminder, a companion, a spark of strength.
For every supporter, every dreamer, every fighter out there:
You’re not alone, "the next episode is yours to write."
