The Beginning: From a Facebook Page to a Movement

Autumn 2015, somewhere in Berlin-Spandau. A simple Facebook page is created under the name MEAN CHIMPANZEE BERLIN founded by a 16-year-old creative going by the alias Caesar.

Back then, Caesar was deep into underground culture and music from the UK and US to Berlin’s own rap and skateboard scene. Influences came from brands like Supreme, A Bathing Ape, Crooks & Castles, Diamond Supply, and The Hundreds the entire early-2000s wave that shaped global streetwear.

Immersed in Berlin’s streetart and skate culture, Caesar began experimenting. Using Affinity Designer, he scanned tags, layered collages, and converted raw sketches into digital form. Instead of waiting for perfection, he’d head straight to the local print shop with €50, three blank hoodies, and a USB stick full of graphics.

It didn’t take long for classmates at Schiller Gymnasium to notice. Hoodies were handed out, orders taken, custom tees made. The buzz spread.

What began as a few friends taking photos in the Spandauer Forst soon grew into something much bigger an identity. A vision.

The Metamorphosis: From MEAN CHIMPANZEE BERLIN to MEAN BERLIN

Fast-forward almost a decade: through successes, failures, heartbreaks, and rebirths, MEAN BERLIN rises from the ashes.

Rooted in Berliner Schnauze the city’s blunt but honest soul the brand matured into something beyond fashion. Caesar, born in Berlin and raised in the UK, carried two cultural worlds within him. The result: a label that speaks both languages street and story.

“We don’t just make. We express our feelings.”

Berlin’s grit and resilience became the brand’s DNA. Every design reflects the city’s texture: its rough edges, its humor, its history. From skateparks to late-night U-Bahn rides, from Currywurst stands to gallery walls — MEAN BERLIN is the visual echo of a living city.

Our Core Values

Quality & Detail

We believe in craftsmanship. Every seam, every print, every cut should carry intention. Our garments aren’t made to be worn once; they’re made to live with you, to age with you, to become part of your story.

Loyalty & Community

We don’t chase quick wins. We value loyalty from our customers, partners, and team. We treat everyone involved like family. Profit never comes before trust.

Culture & Story

Berlin isn’t just our backdrop, it’s our backbone. The city’s history, its ideology, and its underground drive everything we do. We build on culture, not trends.

Social Responsibility

Fair trade, sustainability, and ethical production aren’t marketing tools; they’re the minimum. We see ourselves as a vehicle for social change. Clothing can be a statement, a message, a tool for awareness.

Our Mission: Redefining Berlin Souvenirs

Our goal is simple: to revolutionize the souvenir market and give Berlin’s identity the respect it deserves.

We want to move beyond the “Ich ❤ Berlin” cliché to create real, thoughtful pieces that tell a story. When you wear MEAN BERLIN, you’re not buying a souvenir. You’re taking home a feeling.

A piece that evokes warmth, familiarity, and sometimes nostalgia.

We create for both locals and visitors for Berliners who carry pride in their city, and travelers who want to take something meaningful back home.

Our collections combine storytelling, quality, and design to create souvenirs that are timeless, not disposable.

Our Products: What You’ll Find

• Oversized T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts made from premium cotton (220 gsm+).
• Designs rooted in Berlin’s culture, reinterpreted for the present.
• Limited drops: quality over quantity.
• Locally printed, ethically produced.
• Each design tells a story from Champagner & Currywurst to Wrapped Reichstag.

We are simple but meaningful, minimal in form, rich in essence. Every detail matters, and every component from fabric to label carries the same value.

Why We’re Different

No Fast Fashion

We produce small-batch, high-quality garments meant to last.

No Empty Hype

Every piece is tied to Berlin’s history and identity we don’t follow trends, we translate culture.

No Profit over People

Loyal partners, fair conditions, transparent collaboration that’s the MEAN BERLIN standard.

No Generic Souvenirs

We craft pieces that feel authentic collectables, not clichés.

Our customers don’t just wear MEAN BERLIN. They represent Berlin its rawness, humor, resilience, and heart.

Looking Forward

Ten years in, we’re still just getting started.

The plan? Grow sustainably, create meaningful collaborations with artists, musicians, and designers who share our vision. Launch pop-ups across Berlin and beyond. Keep pushing quality, culture, and conscience as the pillars of our craft.

We want MEAN BERLIN to stand as a symbol for those who love this city, who live its rhythm, who see clothing as more than fabric.

We are timeless, a never-ending clockwork where every component matters.

Thank you for being here.
Welcome to the family. Welcome to MEAN BERLIN.

Stay real. Stay loyal. Stay Berlin.