The Next Level Of Anime Merchandise: The Sugar Punch
Anime and manga are two cultural phenomena. Far surpassing the reach of their birthplaces of Japan, they have influenced the world when it comes to storytelling, art, and animation. The two are wonder drugs, reaching heights unimaginable when it comes to popularity both with their franchises and characters, and it’s no surprise that every industry imaginable is now trying to cross-pollinate itself with the mediums.
This is no new hidden secret though, for decades now we have seen the anime and manga merchandise industry continue to explode, with certain vintage items soaring high into the sky with market value. Although, undeniably, 99% of this industry is riddled with low quality, poorly fitting, and below-par-designed goods that are simple money grabs rather than considered and thoughtful fashion. Despite its continual dominance and otherworldly impact, anime and manga clothing is largely poorly executed.
Then comes The Sugar Punch. Born in Tokyo, this is a brand run by a small team with a long-standing history in fashion, from brand building to design - and they are here to set a new bar when it comes to Manga and Anime fashion.
The Sugar Punch pairs expert knowledge of all things fashion, with the people heading it up having an insurmountable knowledge in the industry, with the deepest passion for all things manga and anime. The Sugar Punch is a true fusion of both spectrums - the highest quality and design of fashion, and the highest respect and knowledge of manga and anime.
The new Tokyo-born brand produces incredibly considered garments, utilising some of the greatest anime and manga out there. But, what’s even more interesting is that the brand seriously dives deep, both the well known and the hidden titles are on their radar.
These aren’t your typical cheap prints, but instead, the best quality fabrics are being used with premium print methods such as silk printing and 3D techniques, and even hand-finished detailing usually only found in top-notch fashion brands is present. From dying techniques to distressing all in house and keeping the production all in Tokyo. The Sugar Punch cut no corners in delivering a genuinely fashionable product that could sit amongst some of the best in the industry.
The Sugar Punch is a cross-breed of contemporary fashion, premium materials and finishing, and a relentless love for anime and manga IPs. Breathing new life into the side of the industry with many negative connotations due to previous poor quality goods, The Sugar Punch acts as the inaugural blow in the world of anime fashion. Created by graphic designer Sugar and MSK, the brand is now a new benchmark for others to reach and signifies another step towards the culture implementing itself into fashion in a more official manner.
Much like streetwear intertwined with high-fashion and gorpcore mixed with urban-city fashion, manga and anime fashion is set to do the same and start a symbiosis with the higher realms of fashion; The Sugar Punch are the ones driving and steering this train. Pairing all their knowledge over the years of fashion with their undying love of anime and manga, they proudly present to you a passion project that is set to take the bar higher in all aspects.
Answering the call of many new-age consumers today, there’s no surprise why The Sugar Punch connects with the right audience: the new cool kids. What was before a stereotypical nerd, having mountains of anime, manga, video games, and toys, is now also the person with insurmountable knowledge of fashion, who is the best-styled kid on the street, and wearing the best quality garments. We live in an age where subcultures are fused, intertwined, and overlapping, and The Sugar Punch could not have come at a better time.
For all these reasons above, we are happy to have sat down with the creators of the brand to discuss their passions, what makes them unique, and why you need to start picking up The Sugar Punch right now.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! Could you start off by introducing yourself to our network?
Sugar : I’m Sugar, designer of The Sugar Punch. MSK: I’m MSK. Director of The Sugar Punch
What is behind the name Sugar Punch. Where does it come from?
Sugar: The brand is named in respect to THE JAPAN PUNCH, a satirical cartoon magazine founded in 1862 by English painter and cartoonist Charles Wagman. “JAPAN" = "Sato, the most common surname in Japan. The word Sugar has the same reading as sato, just different kanji characters) . So, we named it "THE SUGAR PUNCH” as a homage to the magazine. Our mission is to realize fashion conscious merchandising of manga and other IP titles to bring out and amplify the appeal of the original works that designers SUGAR respect.
You guys are taking a real tasteful approach to anime fashion - what was the inspiration behind starting the brand?
MSK: We have been in the fashion industry for a long time and have seen a lot of anime and manga products, but nothing that we thought was cool, so one day when we were having a drink, we decided to make something cool ourselves.
Sugar: Also, it was great to be surrounded by people at the factory who could work together with me to create products at a high level.
You mentioned you were in the fashion industry before. What were you guys doing? And how does this knowledge now get passed down into The Sugar Punch?
MSK: I founded brand a luxury down jacket brand .
SUGER: I was in charge of graphics and production for popular brands in the US and Japan.
And what are certain things that you guys now do differently with Sugar Punch, having all your knowledge from your past experiences in the industry?
MSK: We are using our knowledge to create the best possible result and make the product more appealing to the viewer, and we are trying to make the product more appealing as a pure product than just using manga or anime.
Are you anime/manga fans yourself?
MSK: Of course. We have always read comics since childhood. We've read countless comic books.
The anime merchandise and clothing industry is massive - why do you think it's such a huge craze?
MSK: Manga and anime have great stories and enthusiastic fans. Fashion has similar elements. I think that is what they have in common. Also, I think we live in a time now where the new cool kids are the nerds. The people who know a bunch about niche topics. They know all about manga and anime, but also dress the best on the streets. This is why its an exciting times for manga and fashion cross overs.
And with the industry being so huge, what makes you guys special and stand out?
Sugar: As I mentioned earlier, we have collaborators in downtown Tokyo, including craftsmen with great skills. We are proud that the quality of our products is not easy to imitate.
Even the sizing of the body is based on our research of various products from the 90's, and we have come to our conclusion. We believe that if more people could hold our products in their hands, they would understand the difference.
So, The Sugar Punch is really a passion project from manga enthusiasts but combined with expert knowledge within fashion.
That's exactly right.
Anime and manga are taking over more and more popular culture and fashion right now - why do you think it’s now such an exciting time that connects anime and manga with other cultures?
MSK: I think everyone is starting to realize the artistry and excellence of anime and manga.
Usually we find that these types of merchandise can be quite low quality, but with Sugar Punch you guys pride yourself on offering premium items. What was the decision behind this?
Sugar: We have a lot of respect for cartoonists, and we felt that the products they create should be as good as their work. We also wanted to make something that lasts, so people can enjoy it time and time again.
We see the garments aren’t just simple prints, you’re also adding in dyeing effects and sometimes distressing. Can you tell us a little bit about the process?
Sugar: We never compromise in every step of the process, from sizing to name design. And we have many collaborators who support us in giving shape to our image. The dyeing of the products, the damage processing, everything is done by hand, so it feels more inline with a fashion brand but with the creativity and imagination of anime and manga merchandise.
Can you tell us more about where and how the garments are exactly made. We saw videos of people doing a lot of things by hand. How does a clothing item come to life at The Sugar Punch?
First, we examine the materials and choose the best quality. Then we modify the pattern to find the right balance, and discuss with the craftsman the mood we want to express and which technique to use to print the garment. I believe that everyone's passion breathes life into the garment.
When holding and wearing the garments, you can really tell the finish is very premium and all the finishing is done by hand. They feel like real collectors items. Was this intentional to recreate this feeling?
It is our hope that it will remain valuable in the future. We hope that when we are in the past, we will think we have created something wonderful.
The quality if your items also means a high price for the consumer. How do you think the market will react to having such a premium anime and manga brand? What do you tell people who ask you the price and why it is like it is?
We have not seen any other brands making such elaborate manga and anime products. We hope that if you hold our products in your hands, you will be convinced, so please do! Please experience it for yourself!
We are seeing so many big name brands now tap into anime and manga as a way to connect with their audience. Is there one dream collaboration in your guys’ head between an IP and big fashion brand that you’d love to see come to life?
MSK:I haven't really thought about it much. We would love to see great IPs collaborate with us.
We notice you guys work with some of the best IP’s there are, including Ghost in the Shell and Ultraman. What are some of your personal favourite IP’s and why?
MSK:There are so many, it's a difficult question.
USOGUI, GANTZ, TANK CHAIR, CLAY MORE, there are just so many.
We would love a Sugar Punch x sabukaru collaboration - how can we make this happen?!!
MSK&Sugar: With pleasure, of course!
