Survival is the style in the “Concrete Jungle” pop-up shop on 297 Newbury Street. Annie Mulz, an urban clothing company created by two Northeastern University seniors, is the founding force behind the 8-week shop. The Concrete Jungle, which opened on July 30^th, is bringing underground style to the fashion forward until September 25^th.

“The Concrete Jungle is an almost abstract concept,” said Matthew Osofisan, co-founder of Annie Mulz. “It is tied to our brand, where we live, strive and survive.”

The name, Annie Mulz, is the personification of the word “animals”. The brand is based on the concept of animal in man and inspired by Darwin’s Natural Law that “we are all bound in nature”, according to its mission statement.

Growing up in the inner cities of Providence and Boston, Annie Mulz founders, Matthew Osofisan and Michael Toney learned the harsh lessons of the street. The images depicted on their tee-shirts parallel what they saw. The “Eyes Wide Shut” shirt that says “all you see is crime in the city, all we see is survival in the jungle” demonstrates each day can be a struggle. “We are survivors, our brand embodies it,” said Osofisan.

In January of 2009, Osofisan and Toney launched Annie Mulz. Osofisan applied his sales and marketing skills to the line and Toney created designs that embodied the spirit of the brand. “I have deeply been interested in art and found a functional way of using it,” said Michael Toney, co-founder of Annie Mulz.

For the past year, Osofisan and Toney have sold their shirts throughout the Boston area. From Newbury Street to Harvard Square, Osofisan and Toney have made Annie Mulz not just a brand, but, a lifestyle. “Annie Mulz does not go with major trends, it is about individual style” said Osofisan. “People, who identify with the brand, buy into and understand the idea.”

While the graphic tee-shirts continue to draw in the college crowd, Annie Mulz is ready to move into the classical realm by creating a line of button-downs. “We want to create new avant-garde pieces and use architectural elements to give it the edge,” said Toney.

As part of bringing a voice to the underground movement, Annie Mulz collaborated with brands following a similar mission for the Concrete Jungle. Borntothepurple.com, George Guest, and The Collective have the energy and vision that keeps the spirit of the jungle alive.

Each weekend, since the opening, the Concrete Jungle has held in-store events featuring live music and brand showcases. Proving the city never sleeps, the Concrete Jungle is open from noon to midnight, Tuesday through Sunday. “We envision using this shop to step out and say we are a real brand,” said Osofisan.

So you may ask what is the next step for these Northeastern seniors? Toney and Osofisan plan on staying in Boston and working from the home base. However, they hope to make The Concrete Jungle a traveling pop-up shop in major cities throughout the country.

For more information on Annie Mulz and the Concrete Jungle please visit www.anniemulz.com.