Daily Inspiration: Meet Antwan Fider

Today we’d like to introduce you to Antwan Fider.

Hi Antwan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After Love began as nothing more than a college assignment. The project was simple: create a logo for a brand and present it through a series of mockups. After experimenting with a few different concepts, I landed on a purple and gold logo. When my classmates told me they would actually buy it, I decided to print it on T-shirts and hoodies, creating what became my very first drop.

At the time, I had no intention of starting a clothing brand. I was simply creating pieces that I wanted to wear myself. Instead of spending money on brands that inspired me, I realized I could bring my own ideas to life and build something that felt true to me.
What started as a classroom assignment slowly became something much bigger than I ever imagined. Every collection, every order, and every person who chose to wear After Love helped shape the brand into what it is today.

Looking back, I never could have imagined reaching more than 1,000 orders and nearly $60,000 in sales. But those numbers aren’t what mean the most. The greatest part of this journey has been watching a community form around something that started as a single idea. Seeing people connect with the message, support the vision, and make After Love a part of their own story is something I’ll never take for granted. That’s what After Love has always been about, and it’s what continues to drive everything we create.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The past six years have been filled with challenges, mistakes, and countless growing pains. I’ve always been the type of person to dive in headfirst before knowing exactly what I’m doing. While that approach hasn’t always been the easiest, it’s forced me to learn through experience.
Early on, I realized that building this brand would require me to wear almost every hat. To keep costs low, I had to teach myself skills I had never imagined learning. I learned how to use a heat press through trial and error. My first few attempts were far from perfect—I burned holes through shirts, ruined garments, and wasted money trying to figure out the right temperature, pressure, and technique. Every mistake came with a cost, but every mistake also taught me something I couldn’t have learned any other way.

The same was true for creating content. Nearly all of our social media has been produced in-house, and many of those early photoshoots were simply me figuring things out as I went. Every shoot was an opportunity to learn how to frame a better photo, tell a better story, and become more efficient with every collection we released.

Not every risk paid off. I’ve lost money on ideas that didn’t work, invested in projects that never saw the light of day, and made decisions that, in hindsight, I didn’t need to make. But every setback became part of the foundation that After Love stands on today.
Looking back, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. They taught me resilience, patience, and the value of believing in something enough to keep showing up—even when nothing goes according to plan. Every lesson, every failure, and every small victory has shaped not only this brand but also the person behind it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
After Love has become more than just a clothing brand—it’s grown into a community and a creative movement.
What began as a brand centered around graphic T-shirts has evolved into something much bigger. Today, many people know us for our coverage of anime conventions, especially through the interviews and conversations we share with the community. Along the way, we realized we weren’t just creating clothing anymore—we were creating moments, telling stories, and giving people a platform to be seen.

That’s what makes After Love different. We’ve never limited ourselves to selling apparel. Instead, we’ve built a brand that brings people together through a shared passion for pop culture, creativity, and self-expression. The clothing may be what introduces people to After Love, but it’s the experiences and connections that keep them here.

More than any collection we’ve released or milestone we’ve reached, I’m most proud of the community we’ve built. Seeing people connect with one another, support the brand, and become part of something that started as a simple idea has been the most rewarding part of this journey. At its core, After Love has always been about bringing people together—and that’s what will continue to define everything we create.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
New York has always been a place where dreams take shape. For creatives of every kind, it’s a city that inspires ambition, pushes boundaries, and offers endless opportunities to build something meaningful.

For many, New York is where their journey begins—a place they move to in pursuit of a dream. But for others, it’s where they discover the foundation they need before taking that dream somewhere new. Sometimes, leaving isn’t about walking away from what New York gave you. It’s about carrying everything you learned here and expanding on it somewhere else.

No matter where the journey leads, a part of New York stays with you. It’s a city that shapes the people who dare to chase something bigger than themselves.

Pricing:

• Graphic Tees – $50

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopafterlove.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterloveshop/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://x.com/ShopAfterLove
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFxYLkPhi2HX3eP7bXEg8kA