Supreme, Off-White, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, BAPE. All these companies have made names for themselves in the fashion business and are well known within several countries and communities. However, before these companies achieved their “high-fashion” status, they all started with a simple idea, a hope, and a passion to express their artistic nature and ambitions.

Recently, a fellow cougar at Bothell has been expressing his own artistic nature in efforts to become part of this “tribal” fashion culture. Many of you may recognize his masterful work through his YouTube channel, Key Club merchandise, Xanman, or his notorious articles in The Catamount. This man is no other than Michael Marquess II (‘20), co-Editor in Chief at The Catamount and more recently, the founder of an uprising fashion company, Heno Heno Moheji. 

Although the COVID-19 quarantine has kept many people feeling trapped inside their house, Marquess has been able to venture further with his “love and fascination of other clothing brands, both popular and obscure,” by releasing his very own, unique streetwear on his website, henohenomoheji.shop/. 

Currently, there are four t-shirts available on this website: Heno Heno Moheji, Navel Man, Jesus Drip, and Chicken Pox. These shirts feature unique designs that were originally hand drawn and created by Marquess himself. 

The brand’s trademark design comes from one of the earliest Japanese “memes.” The henohenomoheji is a recognizable face among many Japanese as it “only exists for school children to point out and laugh at for a few minutes.” This meaningless face is “actually the point I’m trying to push with my brand,” says Marquess.

Heno Heno Moheji differs from other companies by purposefully avoiding the common tendency for companies to “attach a deep meaning to everything due to fears of being labeled as ‘shallow’.”  Marquess views this as a problem in the fashion culture. He chooses to counter these norms by releasing designs that “are really neat.” He says, “it’s the feeling that they invoke in me that leads me to put them on shirts and distribute them.” Marquess sees no negative connotation with having “shallow” designs. 

Although Marquess hopes to find success in his clothing business, he sees it as “a simple hobby for me to play around with.” Those who are interested in his company can follow the Instagram account, “henohenomoheji.shop,” where you can get updates and news on the company. You can even use the code “Bothell” at the checkout to get free shipping!

Hopefully this unique company demonstrates how good things can come out of quarantine.