New York Is A Nationality is for the Unapologetic New Yorker

Their staple slogan reads across various-style shirts worn by New Yorkers and lovers of the city.

New York Is A Nationality, courtesy of Tevin Zamor

To have a New York state of mind is to have a gritty, no-nonsense attitude paired with the type of swagger unique only to New Yorkers. The New York mentality is innovative from Buffalo to Albany to Long Island. It drives others to achieve their dreams by any means necessary, and its tough love molds them into people that outsiders might describe as “kind but not nice.” 

This understanding of East Coast culture and what it means to be a New Yorker led co-owners Manuel Santana, JK Diaz, and Rayson Vasquez, and Tevin Zamor, who is also known as “Milla,” to create their brand, New York is a Nationality (NYIAN). 

Native to Rockland County, NY, less than an hour's drive from Manhattan, the four friends established their streetwear clothing brand in 2018. Designed to capture one version of the authentic "New York '' style, NYIAN features a collection of sweatshirts, t-shirts, and accessories that read “New York is a Nationality” with creative renditions of  New York iconography. 

Celebrating its sixth anniversary this November, NYIAN has evolved from a simple slogan to a reflection of New York's attitude and a celebration of the vibrant and incomparable spirit of New York. 

“This brand is for New York, " Zamor, 29, told 1202 Magazine. “There’s all different types of ‘New York,’ but at the end of the day, you’re always gonna have a piece of it no matter where you go. The name speaks for itself; we’re all different, but we’re all the same.”

With little prior experience in the fashion industry, the brand’s co-founders worked to build NYIAN to create generational wealth. Leaning on each other to establish and promote the brand's mission and to develop a business model, they took a leap of faith and began selling t-shirts out of the trunk of a car. 

“The people were losing their mind at first,” Santana, 30, says. “They wanted it like crazy. But nobody taught us how to be business people. We all had different backgrounds and now had to run a business. You learn so much after fucking up so many times.”

Today, while managing sales online at the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY, and the RiseNY Museum in Manhattan, the team is committed to giving back to the community that supports them. 

“We’ve been going to schools, we do public speaking, we do community events,” Vasquez, 25, said. “We get involved with the people that like our brand because I feel like that's the whole part of the message – If New York is a nationality, how can we band together, and what more can we do for the people that support us?”

By visiting local schools in Rockland County, inspiring students to become entrepreneurs, and teaching them the basics of business management, NYIAN co-owners have become known for their philanthropy and clothing. 

“We're minorities, and we don't look like the ‘average’ business owners,” Santana said. “ I felt like I owed it to the kids to go talk to them because they're the ones that support us the most. So, I like going to the school, talking to them, and showing them that we're just like them.”

NYIAN’s selflessness and dedication to connecting with others have led them to impressive endorsements from legendary New Yorkers and other household names like streamer Kai Cenat and musical artists like A Boogie, NLE Choppa, Roddy Ricch and Coi Leray. 

Santana recalled the first time he saw Yonkers, NY native and rapper Jadakiss wearing a NYIAN sweatshirt before the brand was released. 

“We were just waiting for the right time to drop it,” Santana said. Working as a videographer at the time, Santana said, “I got booked to shoot a video for Jadakiss, and it was a no-brainer. We gave him the hoodie, and like, two days later, Jadakiss is in California, wearing our hoodie and  doing a whole interview.” 

New York is a Nation that has come a long way since 2018, and six years in, they are just getting started. Their ability to translate New York’s essence through one all-encompassing phrase with artwork and designs that reflect the New York experience is commended. By connecting with its audience and catering to fashion lovers of all ages, sizes, and styles, NYIAN will continue to show the world what’s possible with a New York state of mind. 

After all, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.