When Amir Watson was deciding what to name his clothing brand, the 18-year-old knew it needed to roll off the tongue. MUGEN AMOUR, a combination of Japanese and French words meaning “infinite love,” is what he landed on — resonating with its evocative message and potential to set the brand apart from others.
In the fashion industry, standing out is everything, and Watson knows this. Around his hometown of Gary, he’s OK with not blending in, and it seems people appreciate him for it.
“The stuff I do, I hear that people say, shouldn’t fly,” he said. “But it’s me, so it fly.”
Much like his personal style, Watson’s brand also toes the line of convention. You’ll find raw hems, purposeful loose threads, and spray paint on many of the hoodies and shirts he offers. It’s more than just logos slapped on the fronts of items, he said — there’s real thought behind the pieces.
It’s not hard to understand why his clothes appealed to the students at Calumet New Tech High School, where Watson recently graduated from. Members of Gen Z are big on crafting and expressing individuality and look for brands that match their values. It’s also not hard to understand why Watson’s brand caught the attention of Sam Miestowski, his former art teacher.
“People are coming up to him in class, knocking on my door … then I see people I’ve never seen before wearing his sweatshirts,” she said.
Miestowski, who taught Watson for two years, was impressed and wanted to support his entrepreneurial and creative spirit. With some prize money from an award she’d won years before, she gave Watson a $100 Menards gift card in recognition of his work and shared it on the school’s Facebook page.
To Miestowski, who’s worked at Calumet New Tech for nine years, it’s important to uplift students whenever possible, and Watson was particularly special.
“It is a gift in this district if you can find a creative soul who is willing to take risks and to step outside of the box of what a normal teenager can do,” she said.
Watson is coy about the gift and Miestowski’s high praise but admits receiving it was “exciting” and “cool.” And it wasn’t the first time a teacher had singled him out because of his talent.
In elementary school, Watson remembers one of his teachers beckoning him to sit and freehand draw an astronaut in front of his class.
“Everybody was like, ‘Oh my God,’” he said. That was when it dawned on him that he possessed acute artistic abilities.
Growing up, Watson was surrounded by art, entrepreneurship, and fashion. His father is a barber and clothing shop owner, while his mother is a cafe owner and nurse. As a child, he would watch his dad draw and paint on clothes — the very thing he’d later go on to do.
Seeing his parents succeed made it easy for Watson to take a leap of faith and start a business. MUGEN AMOUR was born in late 2022 and has grown steadily since. It’s been featured in fashion shows, one of which Watson even enlisted some classmates to model for. And as he’s gotten older, the brand’s evolved, becoming more fashion-forward.
He looks up to trendsetters Virgil Abloh, Pharrell, and Lil Yachty as inspiration but isn’t focused on world domination — yet. Watson wants to conquer Gary and its surrounding areas first. To him, the nice part about being from Gary is that there are several untapped lanes to capitalize on.
In the fall, he’ll start college at Indiana University Northwest and play on the school’s basketball team, where he is considering majoring in marketing. He said his parents instilled in him the importance of education, leadership, and excelling in what he does — all things he tries to keep in mind.
Miestowski said at school his classmates viewed him as a leader, and even if he wasn’t interested in the limelight, he was always a “dedicated promoter of his brand.”
This matches how Watson described himself at school: never openly promoting his clothing line but not shying away from conversations when asked. Online, though, is a different story.
“I’m a door-to-door salesman on Instagram,” he said.
By the end of the year, he wants to reach 10,000 followers on the platform, knowing that success today hinges on digital presence.
Other goals include organizing a fashion show and relaunching his website. For now, interested buyers can send a direct message to the brand’s page.
On MUGEN AMOUR’s profile, Watson models pieces, showcasing how seamlessly they fit into his wardrobe. These days, he hardly ever doesn’t wear his brand, and it’s evident that the line and himself are one and the same. Equal parts passion project and brainchild. Looking to the future, Watson sets an intention.
“I will never make [any] clothes that I wouldn’t wear.”
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