Menswearbible chats to Zar Lasahido about the journey of his brand Humble Minded that I featured in our Reddit Brand of The Week series about a year ago.
WHEN DID YOU START THE BRAND AND HOW BIG IS YOUR TEAM?
My name is Zar Lasahido, founder and creative director of Amsterdam based label Humble Minded since 2017. I was born and raised in Amsterdam but my parents are from Indonesia. I was always interested in the creative industry, especially fashion. So I went to Indonesia a couple of times for holiday to visit my family and also linked up the local creatives. What I noticed is that they are very creative but find it hard to go international. I have been raised to always help people and I was thinking to create bridges for these creatives internationally. Amsterdam is a very multicultural city which makes it very beautiful. My friends for example have different backgrounds which gives me a broader perspective. There is a unity in diversity which is also the national motto of Indonesia where my parents come from.
I combined this idea with a clothing line because my friends and I were talking about clothes that the scene was missing a brand that offers quality, comfort and a premium feel at an affordable price. The team is around 5 people and we have many other friends helping out with the brand as well. We are lucky to be based in Amsterdam because it gives us the opportunity to have a broader perspective because of the multicultural edge that we have.
BEING THAT YOU ARE AN UPCOMING BRAND, HOW ARE YOU FINDING IT AT THIS TIME WHEN THERE IS PANDEMIC?
It’s a new experience for us. In the beginning it was quite hard. Usually we go to the office and meet there. But now we work with people overseas and working remotely this helped us in finding new opportunities. Factories were and still are closed because of the pandemic so we had many delays for the production. On the other hand, we had more time to source new factories and brainstorm for new concepts and products.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED AND HOW WOULD YOU ADVISE OTHER SMALL BRANDS TO OPERATE DURING THESE TIMES?
First of all be safe. Conduct safety measures at the office. Look for government support if possible. Adapt during these times. We can’t stay frustrated and sometimes finding solutions to these problems can create the best ideas and new opportunities. It will test your problem solving skills. You have to be resilient and stay passionate about it.
What I can say is create items that are meaningful and that can help during the pandemic.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE SCENE IN AMSTERDAM WHERE YOU GUYS ARE BASED, THERE ARE SOME EXCITING BRANDS LIKE PATTA, DAILY PAPER, FILLING PIECES JUST TO NAME A FEW, WHERE DO HUMBLE MINDED GUYS FIT IN ?
The ones you mentioned are very big brands in Amsterdam. We are still a very small brand. The beautiful thing about Amsterdam is that we help each other in here. We did some projects together with Filling Pieces and Daily Paper. There are also other brands such as The New Originals and my younger brother Rizky is one of the co-founders. So we are literally family haha.
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR BRAND WITH INDONESIA, I HAVE SEEN YOU DOING POP UPS THERE, ALSO WHAT IS THE SCENE LIKE THERE,,MIND YOU I HAVE ONLY BEEN TO BALI ?
You noticed it very well. I was born and raised in Amsterdam but my parents are from Indonesia. I travelled to Indonesia a few times for holiday to visit family and also linked up the local creatives. What I noticed is that they are very creative but find it difficult to gain international exposure. I felt that it was in my nature to help uncover the potential that was hidden. I was thinking of creating bridges for these talented creatives to give them the platform that they deserve. However, besides just Indonesia, we want to transition this to a broader international stage.
SO WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE WE FEATURED YOUR BRAND ON MENS WEARBIBLE. AS OUR “REDDIT BRAND OF THE WEEK “?
New products, partners, knowledge, friends.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT. IN THE FUTURE FROM HUMBLED MINDED?
You can expect full head to toe collections.
Shop the latest releases from Humble Minded HERE
ABOUT HUMBLE MINDED
Established in 2017 to elevate the creative industry to the next level by connecting people, borders, and cultural differences.A ready-to-wear lifestyle brand in Amsterdam that began with a simple, elegant, and contemporary concept. Designs that are unique, detailed, and comfortable are at the ethos of Humble Minded.
