A couple of years ago, Cynthia Liu and Jonathan Kievit crossed paths in Tokyo, Japan, where she was taking care Jonathan's Japan tour. An instant connection sparked between them due to their shared interests in music, food, and fashion. Following the tour, Cynthia briefly moved to Rotterdam, IMANU's hometown, and the idea of collaborating on merchandise emerged. Gradually, they came to the realization that their true passion lay in meticulously curating a sophisticated line from the ground up, as opposed to simply printing on existing items.

Over the next few years, they shuttled between Rotterdam and Auckland, engaging in design sessions, meticulous fabric selection, sample creation, and precise clothing adjustments—all in the pursuit of achieving perfection.

The brand had to be a representation of global street fashion, a blend of inspirations taken from their tours all over the world, and a representation of what they stand for.