Today we’d like to introduce you to INSIG
Hi INSIG, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our story starts with INSIG being founded in 2017 by me, Brandon Mensah, at 15 years old. The INSIG team now is between Brandon Mensah and Neal Hopkins. I was inspired to create by playing games such as Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Jet Set Radio as a kid, surfing through Newgrounds and YouTube, and watching Tyler the Creator’s GOLF 2016 fashion show. INSIG is a dream come to reality from a period of time where I felt insignificant. I felt like if Tyler the Creator could show the whole world what was in his mind and who he was through fashion, then I could too.
I began the process of creating INSIG by reading up on how I can make this idea possible, and sketching new ideas that came to mind. I knew I wanted to have my hand in the process of creation as much as possible, so anybody who bought INSIG knew there was soul in it. Later on, I made a post on my personal Instagram for help on what I couldn’t find on my own. A friend from my high school, Arjun Raj, put me onto GIMP, a free and open-source image manipulation and editing software. Once I downloaded the software, I got to work on my first full designs. Within 3-4 months, I went around to my closest friends and family to have pre-orders placed to get the original shirts made. There were 8 orders placed, but that was enough for me to finally touch what I had been working on for the past few months. After getting the first round of shirts, INSIG was rolling with different designs. We even had our first photoshoot. I knew as INSIG progressed, I couldn’t handle all operations on my own. That’s when Neal Hopkins joined me to form the INSIG team.
Neal and I met in 2018 through a friend of a friend. Our partnership blossomed because we were into the same niche interests. We both carried the same ambition to find our dreams and make them a reality. Neal’s inclusion into INSIG began a new era. What pushed INSIG forward was our ability to bounce our ideas back and forth smoothly and our goal for people to see the world as we do. In the era of INSIG from 2018-2021, we released our second season to a higher amount of orders and acclaim towards our unique designs. We achieved something new with INSIG that one man couldn’t do alone.
INSIG went on hiatus from 2021-2022, during this time, we both honed our craft and locked in to what made INSIG special and came back stronger in 2023. INSIG returned with our Spring Fling event, an outdoor event in celebration of our return featuring new clothes and a way to reconnect with our community. Since then, we’ve been building and continuing to work to make sure the INSIG spirit is felt in each of our products. The time it has taken and the trials we’ve gone through for us to realize our dream only motivates us and causes us to scream INSIG FOREVER.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A struggle of ours was being able to print our own clothing. There was an uphill battle in learning how to screen-print because of the patience it took to learn and the lack of nearby help at the time. The frustration we got from having to build our screen-printing workshop from scratch and the trial and error of burning countless screens was worth it though. At the end of the day, all the pain was for INSIG. After learning how to screen-print, we’ve begun to produce our own high-quality clothing.
Another challenge was getting INSIG in people’s faces. Given that both members of the team are introverted, it can be hard to express the loud and in-your-face ethos of INSIG. Even as we have been selling at various flea markets and similar art markets, it can be daunting to have to speak to every person who comes by. What makes it worth it though is the opportunity to have a person join our INSIG family. The INSIG spirit is more than just its individual members.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about INSIG ?
INSIG is a clothing brand based in Memphis, TN, co-owned by Brandon Mensah and Neal Hopkins. INSIG focuses on apparel such as t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts. We also have released accessories such as keychains, hats, and tote bags. INSIG also has in-house photography for our photoshoots for new releases and video content that reflects the events we go to, products we release, and a peek into our process. We’re most proud of our loud and in-your-face graphics that reflect our attitude. What sets us apart from others is our designs and our care for our INSIG family. What we’d want readers to know more about our brand is that it’s for the kids and young adults out there who feel or had felt too nervous or too scared to be themselves. INSIG is here for you and here forever. Be loud, be free, be INSIG.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Not many people know how much the INSIG team does in-house. We make our own designs, we now print our own shirts, we designed our own website, etc. We strive to have our hand as much of INSIG as possible. INSIG’s t-shirts are our foundation, so in each release we try to improve upon them and make each shirt a product to be cherished. When a person receives an INSIG product, they immediately join our community, our INSIG family. So it shouldn’t come to a surprise that we’d treat our family well. Every single thing we market as an INSIG product is something that should make people feel loved like family and not insignificant.
Pricing:
- INSIG Superstars T-Shirt: $30
- CRT-SIG T-Shirt: $28
- INSIG Online T-Shirt: $30
- INSIG F*** You Tote Bag: $15
Contact Info:
- Website: https://weareinsig.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/insiggram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089894936112&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/INSIG4EVR
Image Credits
Ahmed Motiwala
Brandon Mensah
Landon Golden
