Off-White’s Virgil Abloh made waves last year with a controversial statement. “The idea of streetwear is gonna die this year,” he said to Dazed. “How many more T-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many more sneakers?”
With roots in hip-hop, skater scene and other counterculture movements, these past few years have been dedicated to bringing streetwear to the public eye. Athleisure, for one, has become a runway staple across the globe. It no longer just represented an underground movement. So much so that mall chains and fast fashion replicated it.
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As a fashion trend, maybe upscale runways will start moving on. Here, the scenes that began local streetwear prove that it’s more than just a fashion trend. This is what local clothing brands are celebrating. Spearheaded by Progress in partnership with Davao’s Revere and Cebu’s Strap, National Streetwear Day 2020 is celebrated throughout the month, starting on Jan. 18 ’till 31. This year is more than just about wearing local. It’s a day dedicated to posing questions about the future of local streetwear.
So let’s try answering one today: What’s new with local streetwear? Here are some fresh and underrated brands worth finding on your radar.
Downtown Lavish
This Bacolod-based minimalist brand specializes in ready to wear clothing. They’re focusing on delivering high-end clothing experience via an accessible price point. From garment cargo vests to glow in the dark hoodies, Downtown Lavish tries to up the ante of everyday Filipino fashion by emphasizing on intricate tailoring techniques, using quality fabrics, and valuing wearability.
Our Revival
A sustainable clothing brand fit for anyone who wants to give fast fashion a rest. They sell an array of spliced up shirts, hoodies, and pants similar to Harajuku’s current vintage remake movement. Our Revival describes themselves as people who don’t make clothes—they make wearable art. And browsing through their collections, it’s hard not to agree.
GOLD
Determination made wearable is the first thing that comes to mind browsing their pieces. This independent movement from Caloocan mix intentionally crude ’90s skater graphics with good vibrations. With their heavy graphic tees and outlandish ideas like releasing a coloring book, they stay true to what they say they stand for: “The idea is to create something out of nothing. Sharing good energy and vibration to everyone.”
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SUOT
This fairly new brand has a simple vision: “We aim to provide quality and unique pieces for you to wear.” Their first collection marks what they want to achieve in their future releases. From baggy corduroy pants to boxy combo tees, it’s a brand that prioritizes comfort and ease without compromising taste.
Sleek/shy
This brand contradicts the meaning of its name. With their first collection, creator Finn Santos made pieces that warrant attention. They created hoodies, sweatpants, and shirts heavy on graphics with a playful take on meme culture and our attraction to kitschy word art. Sleek/shy is unafraid to experiment and to capture people’s gaze with their releases—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We Are The People
There’s certain punk energy emanating from this brand. With their pieces, they’re unapologetically crass with their statements. They have shirts calling Manila a sin city and another questioning what our president is really killing for. They lean toward monochromes and primaries for their color schemes, yet it’s a mere backdrop for what they stand for: sociopolitical awareness and the unfiltered life in the streets.
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STRANGERS
This brand leans more on monochromatic visuals mixed with ’80s B-horror movies. Its colors might be muted but its silkscreened iconographies are loud. In their bio, they describe STRANGERS style as “provocative and unlikely.” This applies to the events they mount and the people they collaborate with.
Photo from Robert C. Pabiling
Special thanks to Season Pass