Anatag: A Sock Wave Hits Miami
Updated: Aug 30, 2020
Socks have come full circle. They’ve gone from cool, to oblivion, to trendy. Remember the 80s? With the slouch socks and the rolled-up socks and the layered socks? They had their own little vibe going on. Then they went dark for a few decades, and now they’ve popped up again, with a bang no less. And this brand is certainly making it easy for socks to come back. Bright colors, unique designs and high-quality materials appear to be the exact ingredients needed for success.
Anatag is a Miami-based sock and activewear company bringing together native culture and art in high quality materials. A group of Latin American creatives and sports enthusiasts combined their active lifestyles and their love for sports in order to breathe life into this edgy project; one whose core inspiration sprouts from the purest and most primitive art of Latin American tribes.
What’s up with socks? Sometimes they feel like that long-lost relative who you seldom see but who you—presumably—still care about.
Yes, in a way that might be the case, but just imagine that you started to connect with your long-lost relative and found out he/she is very cool, has good vibes, good energy and it feels all of a sudden that he/she was never away for that long! Exactly, that is what has happened with socks in recent years. People aren’t afraid to show some color, shapes and styles; they have finally become part of the overall outfit.
In a city like Miami, where it’s hot and humid for a good part of the year and people sacrifice style to keep cool, are socks a thing?
We get this question a lot. Some people are concerned about wearing crew or higher socks in Florida’s weather, especially if they have an active lifestyle and are outdoors most of the time. For us, it’s the premium quality fabric that makes a difference. We researched the market for over 2 years until we came across one of the best cottons in the world: Pima Cotton. Pima is softer, stronger and longer lasting than standard cotton, and it’s originally from Peru. So, for us it was an easy decision given the comfort and breathability of the end product.
Pursuing your passion is easier said than done. How hard or less hard has starting a business been for you?
It’s exactly like they tell you: a rollercoaster—high peaks are awesome, especially when you hit the small milestones throughout the journey, but, it’s inevitable to hit some big obstacles along the way and unfortunately some of those teach you hard lessons.
In our case, we can say it has been two rollercoasters. One was getting things rolling, starting with a simple idea and taking it all the way to a reality. And the second was staying in business, from commercial expansion, investors, handling growth and cash efficiencies and most recently, handling and adapting to a global event (Covid-19).
What role has Miami played in your business? How did it inspire you, if at all?
All three of us are immigrants from Latin America. We all landed here by chance and have stayed in this wonderful city which we proudly call home. Miami has not only played a role in our business; it has been one of the most important sources of inspiration from the start. It’s true that our designs are inspired by Latin American culture, but what’s most important is where we were at the time the idea hit us: Wynwood.
Every afternoon we would all get together in a friend’s small industrial office in the heart of this arts’ district and we would brainstorm, create, erase, create again, agree and sometimes disagree. We always knew we wanted to make a bang with socks; we wanted a beautiful, high quality product that would represent our unique vision. So, we worked hard for 2 years until we finally polished and fine-tuned—what we thought—was a winning idea. And it was. Anatag came to life ready to make her mark; designed in Miami and inspired by the art and culture of this city and of so many others around us.
Who’s Anatag?
Anatag is our way to honor our ancestors, to honor where we come from, to remind us about the journey that has brought us here as immigrants to Miami. Ana means art/painting in one of the Latin American tribe dialects that is close to our original home and Tag is the urban tagging technique used by street artists to sign their work. However, if Anatag was a person we would like to think of her as a beautiful little girl from the amazon jungle.
What sets your socks apart?
We can say everything, from the materials we use to the designs. But sometimes reactions speak louder than words. We don’t like to say what sets us apart, we’d rather people experience it. For instance, when someone puts on Anatags for the first time and they exclaim: “Oh, I wasn’t expecting them to be so soft!”. Or when we run into people a year after buying our socks at an event and they tell you: “These are hands down the best socks I’ve ever had, and the colors haven’t even faded. They still look the same as the day I bought them.” Now that’s what makes us special. Not to mention the way many of our customers connect with the designs. They feel different when they wear them, because our patterns are not just simple lines, they’re ancestral traces rooted in many culture’s traditions.
When art and fashion come together, truly original work is created. If your socks are “a canvas in motion”, does this mean you’re open to working with different artists and exploring other styles?
We believe inspiration can come from anywhere and we are open (and looking) to work different projects/collaborations with artists that are looking to fuse their vision and craft with ours.
Your designs are very unique; why do you think they connect with your consumers?
Most of our designs are inspired in native art. We initially started with tribes from Latin America and in the future we want to move on to different parts of the world. What we’ve found is that native art is incredibly rich in colors, shapes, lines, and it is an alternative for people want to feel different. As I said before, these traces tell a story, they serve as testimony of the beauty that surrounds us, and people tend to connect with that.
Who is Anatag intended for?
Our team is very passionate about sports; we are active cyclists, runners, cross-fitters, tennis players, and Anatag has inherited that passion. Our consumers range from top athletes to corporate workers to teenagers. Who wears Anatags? Anyone and everyone. Whether it’s for sports, leisure, or work, we love the fact that we appeal to many people. One thing they have in common though: they have an active lifestyle and are not afraid to show off their Anatags.
How are you planning to make Miamians Anatag believers?
By giving back to the community. We have supported/sponsored local events throughout South Florida since our launch in 2018—marathons, triathlons and crossfit events—and the feedback among everyone has been positive all around. We believe that by getting involved with Miamians, bringing them our product, telling our story, we’ll inspire them and get them to fall in love with Anatag.
Fore more info visit www.anatag.com @iamanatag.