Md Kamruzzaman | What The Founder of Queens-Based Clothing Label Divinus Learned After Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Photo courtesy of Md Kamruzzaman.

Md Kamruzzaman spent the first fifteen years of his life on Saipan, an island in “the middle of nowhere.” He grew up in a society unlike what most of us are familiar with. There were rules, but not very many people who cared to enforce them. It’s where he learned how to not only walk and talk, but also how to skateboard and manage a team.

Because of the freedom he had on the island, he began making skate videos with his friends. Eventually, the crew started designing t-shirts, though they had very little to work with.

“You do what you can with the resources you’re given. We’d buy blank shirts and stencil on them with duct tape and spray paint.”

Those pastimes and passions led Md where he is today. His upbringing and environment gave birth to creativity, and as a marketing professional and clothing designer living in Queens, New York, he can’t imagine any other childhood.

“The entire island was like a playground to us. My friends and I envisioned a whole world to ourselves. But there was nothing for us to do on the big scale. So we started this skate crew and began making skate videos, which was my first introduction to managing and building a team.”

The skateboarding inspired him to establish his clothing label Divinus in 2015. At its inception, Md wasn’t yet brave enough to put himself out there in a way that could push his ambitions. But over the years he got rid of the imposter syndrome that he felt, the feeling of not belonging, and now he can own his creative entrepreneurship with pride. 

“At the time I couldn’t call myself an artist. I couldn’t tell anyone I was a designer or even attach my name to the brand.”

But that was then. This past weekend, Md’s latest release broke even in less than twenty-four hours. Imposter syndrome long gone, he can own up to his creations and successes. More importantly, he can own up to his inspirations: skateboarding and Queens.

Photo by J. Grassi.

 “Creative expression where you least expect it.” That’s what the brand really is. You expect it in Brooklyn, but maybe not so much Queens. 

“When you come here you see the artists and you wouldn’t expect them to be artists. But they have the creative energy that’s often overlooked.” More importantly, Queens is home to immigrants from all over the world. It’s the first stopping point on many families’ journeys in America, as well as a safe haven. That’s where the inclusivity, that’s so blatantly labeled on his clothes, comes from. A man who understands what it’s like to be different. 

It’s perhaps that energy that also leads to his unique perspective on design when it comes to the label. Though he follows the fashion cycle when it comes to new releases, Md compares each main collection to an album. And when he wants to drop a piece or a couple of pieces in between, those are singles and mixtapes.

Photo by B. Monteiro.

Md’s eye for design and way of approaching the business led to a couple New York boutiques offering him spots in their stores. His pieces can be purchased online, but also at The Kid With the Boombox and Thirteen Crosby. In 2020, Md hopes the merge the online community with the in-person shoppers through events and pop-ups.

Reflecting on his recent successes, he praises his newly-joined team member Lawrence Orech ,who used to craft handbags. Of the both of them, he says, “we don’t have that much but we want to create.”

And in creating, Md stresses the importance of staying true to yourself. Divinus has always been pieces that are uniquely him.

“Imagine being well-known for something that you’re not.”

That authenticity radiates in everything he does, everything he creates, and everything he says. And we could all learn a thing or two from that.

Follow Divinus on Instagram @divin.us.