Justin Tapley
Sep 3, 2025
From Garage Band Grit to Global Fashion
Every cultural movement begins somewhere small.
For LML Clothing by Halfwait, that starting point was not a design studio or a boardroom, but a garage.
The grit of Halfwait’s DIY music journey, from makeshift rehearsals to self-organised tours, is the same energy that now fuels a global fashion brand.
LML Clothing carries forward the raw independence of those early days, proving that authenticity built in garages can resonate on international retail floors.
Origin Story & Ethos
Jonathan Barca, founder of LML Clothing and frontman of Halfwait, lived through the challenges and triumphs of a DIY band.
Without major backing, Halfwait grew from grassroots efforts: writing songs, booking shows, and connecting with fans face-to-face.
When touring ended in 2021, Barca carried this ethos into fashion, launching LML Clothing in 2022.
The brand was never about chasing trends but about sustaining culture.
In 2025, the creation of LML Records expanded that philosophy, ensuring that music and fashion would remain bound together under one cultural banner.
Thematic Core
DIY is more than a method, it is an identity.
LML Clothing translates the resilience, resourcefulness, and authenticity of garage-band culture into fashion.
Each garment is designed with minimalism, responsibility, and narrative depth.
Wholesale distribution provides the scale, but the ethos remains rooted in doing things independently and authentically. For LML, success is not about shortcuts or compromises but about building a global presence from the same foundation of grit that carried Halfwait through its earliest years.
Value Proposition / Cultural Impact
For retailers, LML’s DIY foundation provides cultural depth that customers recognise and respect.
Today’s fashion consumer is attuned to authenticity, skeptical of overproduced branding, and drawn to stories that feel lived-in.
LML’s value proposition lies in merging retail-ready minimalism with cultural credibility.
Stocking LML means offering products that not only meet commercial standards but also carry the emotional weight of a story forged in garages, venues, and communities.
The DIY spirit becomes a unique selling point, turning each piece into more than apparel, into a cultural artifact.
Founder Quote
“I learned everything from the DIY world.
We didn’t wait for permission, we booked our own shows, made our own music, and built our own path.
LML Clothing is built the same way.
What started in a garage is now on its way to global retail, but the energy hasn’t changed,” says Jonathan Barca, founder of LML Clothing by Halfwait.
Community + Engagement
The DIY ethos fosters community because it thrives on connection.
Fans of Halfwait supported the band because they believed in the effort and authenticity behind it.
LML Clothing has inherited that community, now expanded into fashion.
Retail buyers who partner with LML tap into an audience that values independence, sustainability, and cultural substance.
LML Records strengthens this connection, ensuring that the community can engage with the brand across both music and apparel. This engagement creates a feedback loop, customers don’t just buy into LML, they help sustain it.
Closing
From garage rehearsals to global wholesale distribution, the story of LML Clothing demonstrates how grit and authenticity can scale without compromise.
Built on a DIY ethos, the brand merges music, fashion, and sustainability into a model that resonates worldwide.
For retailers, LML offers more than minimalist apparel, it delivers the energy of a movement born from independence and carried into the future.
The garage may have been the starting point, but the spirit it cultivated continues to define the brand’s journey.
About LML Clothing by Halfwait
LML Clothing by Halfwait is a minimalist streetwear label founded in 2022 by musician Jonathan Barca, frontman of the rock band Halfwait.
Rooted in a philosophy of authenticity, sustainability, and cultural storytelling, the brand bridges music and fashion through clean, narrative-driven designs.
In 2025, the launch of LML Records further expanded this mission, releasing compilation albums across 150 platforms and integrating music into the brand’s cultural identity.
With wholesale distribution across the U.S. and Europe, LML Clothing delivers retail-ready apparel that carries the spirit of music, responsibility, and community.
Learn moreBehind the brand