AKI moved to New York from Japan at the age of 22.
Like many young men, AKI started going to the gym at 25 because he wanted to be attractive to girls. He quickly became passionate about training, enjoying the changes in his body and the increasing weights he could handle.
As the days passed, his collection of workout gear grew. One day, he discovered stylishly designed underwear and decided to purchase it.
AKI had found not just "any underwear" but "his favorite underwear."
Surprisingly, this underwear, like his other training wear and sneakers, motivated him. After all, dressing stylishly is fun, and wearing your favorites feels great, right?
However, he struggled to find other underwear that he liked as much. Most brands offered plain or traditional designs.
That's when AKI decided to create his own underwear, leading to the birth of ALPHABET CITY.
Initially, it was a casual endeavor, but it soon became as enjoyable and engaging as his training sessions, turning into a grand dream.
This was the inspiration behind the creation of ALPHABET CITY.
After four years of researching over 60 underwear brands, AKI finally perfected the ALPHABET CITY shorts that are now on sale.
From June to July 2023, the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for the initial launch achieved a 300% funding goal. Sales officially began in September.
The brand has been supported and worn by artist Dragon76, Tek and Steele from the legendary HIPHOP group Smif-N-Wessun in Brooklyn, MLB players Sam Coonrod and Jeff Brigham from the Mets, Oscar Colás from the White Sox, UFC Fighter MIKE DAVIS, and the famous sumo wrestler and actor, Ryotoku Tashiro.
Thankfully, with the support and help of many, ALPHABET CITY has reached a wide range of people. We hope to continue delighting many more.
AKI's dream is to make ALPHABET CITY the top brand in the men's underwear industry.
And so, AKI's challenge continues.
