Meet Nathan Domingos | Designer and Artist, Founder of MINTED SUPPLY

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathan Domingos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In all honesty, I did not grow up thinking that I wanted to start my own business or be in the creative field. Sure, I doodled all the time, but I was good at math and science so I was encouraged to pursue a steady career in engineering or medicine.

Being the people pleaser and an information sponge that I was, I fed into these expectations put on me by my parents and teachers for a long time, until I realized that none of it really made me happy. In high school, all of the people pleasing caught up to me and I hit a wall. Although it took a long time to recover, it helped me realize that doing what other people think I should do just isn’t it. While in college, I began to free myself from all of the expectations and ultimately ended up finding my love for art.

For a while I was convinced that I wanted to enter the design field and be an architect or a shoe designer (I still kind of do); that was, until I had my first job after college as a retail manager for a startup shoe company. I quickly discovered that, as long as I serve as a cog in a machine, I would never gain access to true creative freedom, or I would at least have to suck it up and wait for an opportunity later on in my career.

So all of that lead me to starting my brand. MINTED SUPPLY became the opportunity to share my thoughts and creativity on my own terms, without having to wait for permission or submit to social expectations. By exploring the themes of material wealth and social expectations in a consumable way, I’ve created a way of processing my experiences in a way that can not only support me, but also inspire others to also think for themselves and free their minds from blindly doing what they are told.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to think that my art is unique because it explores the topic of wealth and value in a way that I don’ think has been done before. For the most part, fashion and clothing about money, especially in the streetwear world, ends up being extremely cheesy, excessively political, preachy, and/or a bit dishonest in its glorification of money as a status symbol. With my work, I try to be subtile and subversive, using visual puns, metaphors, and rather deep narratives to ask questions about what it means for something to be valuable, rather than draw conclusions and try to indoctrinate people.

I think what I am most proud of is how I’ve been able to develop these really deep ideas into something that people want to wear, and staying true to my ethos and theme from the beginning. Starting off in the streetwear/fashion world isn’t easy nowadays with social media and the currents of trends that come and go. It feels like social media has developed a sort of “mob mentality” or “hive mind” that lead people to all wanting and believing the same things, which leads a lot of creators into being sucked into the pit of making trendy, brainless pieces for a quick buck. It is also difficult when I see so many creators and brands in the field who seem to have so much more experience and do things better than I can. The hive mind and comparisons gets to me constantly, if I’m being honest. But what I’ve learned by sticking to my beliefs and designing my truth and simply “doing” is that not all people want the same things – there are people who think deeply and critically about the world the way I do – it’s just a matter of finding them. As for the issue of comparison, I had found that the best way to deal with it is to make pieces and develop themes that are unique, and to accept and understand that your limits are your road map to improvement. If I’m not like anyone else, there is no point in comparing myself, and I can always feel good knowing that I can push myself to improve with every collection.

I started this brand knowing almost nothing, other than some general knowledge of the industry, the Adobe Suite, and the ability to screen print. What has made me successful has been engaging in the creative process, discovering community, and choosing to be different.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooof. This depends on the friend and what kinds of things they like, because I have friends in all kinds of circles. But if it was completely up to me, I would try to find every art exhibit and opening I can find. The artist community in Boston is rather small – we all kinda know each other. Art openings and exhibits end up becoming just fun hangouts with a little bit of booze and a lot of art to check out! I’m also the type who likes to do things, not just see them. I’d take them to Graffiti Alley in Cambridge or the Quincy Quarries to mess around with spray paint, do street photography, and visit some vintage shops and markets. And since we are in Mass, we have to check out the coastline. Typically I go North to Gloucester and Rockport for the beach and to enjoy fried clams and chowder – but try to avoid the touristy spots. As a soccer fan, I also enjoy heading to the North End to watch games with the old Italians at the sports bars, and have a nice espresso at Caffe Victoria.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my friend and photographer Troy Wade, as well as all of my other friends who have given their time and energy to this project without really asking for much in return. Their belief in what I do helps me realize that my work is important, and is what keeps me coming back and making new collections,
I’d also like to shoutout all of my friend Ange for putting me onto this interview!

Website: https://mintedsupply.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mintedsupply/