During the week, Munie, who recently became a father for the second time, starts each day with the same routine. “In the morning, I take my little one to school, and that’s truly my happy moment,” he says. He then has a coffee with his wife before heading to his fashion studio in The Hague. Munie has been designing fashion since he was fourteen. “When I hold a piece of fabric, something happens inside me. I instantly know what it should become. That’s a gift, but it’s something you only realize years later. From a young age, it was instinctive, but I had no idea what to do with it.”
While in secondary school, Munie initially pursued electrical and metal engineering before discovering there was a fashion school. “I wasn’t the smartest in my class and started as a nine-year-old in the fifth grade with a huge educational backlog. However, during my fashion studies, I was named the best vocational student in the Netherlands. That’s pretty unique for someone who has always been behind. Every year, I had tutoring to help me reach the same level as my classmates.”
Setbacks
Munie grew into a renowned fashion and bag designer but also faced setbacks. He had to close shops and, in 2020, received criticism for acquiring a large retail space at a low cost. “Looking back, maybe I went too fast. But on the other hand, that was my journey. When you’re given an opportunity, you want to take it—especially when you’re young. I get calls every week asking if I want to open a store somewhere, but I politely decline now. I know when to say ‘no.’ As long as I’m in charge, I don’t want to grow too quickly. That’s healthy.”
Nowadays, Munie primarily creates custom clothing and designs for his streetwear label MUNYÉ, where he finally gets to express his passion for streetwear. “When I designed streetwear in the past, it didn’t sell easily. But now, streetwear has found its place in the mainstream.”
Football
Munie is also a football enthusiast and finds it refreshing that football and fashion have become more intertwined. “If I’m not designing, I’m watching football. It’s so cool that football has become a significant influence in fashion. I know very few fashion designers who follow football. I secretly always hoped football would become more involved in the fashion world, and it truly has now. Footballers have always been trendsetters. Beckham was the first to showcase elegant fashion brilliantly. Back then, though, you only saw his outfits in advertisements. Fashion is now more accessible thanks to the internet, and streetwear has become the new high-end, allowing more footballers to have an influence on fashion.”
Today, Frenchman Jules Koundé is one of the most talked-about footballers when it comes to fashion. “Footballers are idols, so people will want to wear the clothes they wear,” Munie continues. “As a fashion enthusiast, I think what Koundé is doing is very cool, but he might be going a bit too far. The average guy is a bit more down-to-earth. But by exaggerating, footballers can also make a statement. What Koundé is doing is next level. I get it, but I believe in maintaining a healthy balance.”
