FAQ'S AND 101 on "STREETWEAR" for women
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The phenomenon of streetwear is not something new, nor is it something native to the Philippines. It’s been around for a while, but has evolved over the years to the point that it no longer looks like the same as it used to.
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I like this site, but what is streetwear anyway?
KORNER X Wednesday Pop-up Event, Leveriza, Manila.
Streetwear finds its roots in the East Coast region of the United States, taking influences from skateboarding, basketball and hip-hop culture during the 1980s. (Rajendran) This style of fashion has become a global phenomenon in the years since its inception, with brands from places all around the world achieving varying levels of prominence in the mainstream worldwide, ranging from the established names like New York-based brands Supreme & Kith, A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) from Harajuku in Japan, and Stussy from California, to newer brands like Milan-based OFF-WHITE, Anti Social Social Club & RipNDip from California, UK-based King, among many others. The rise is also notable here in the Philippines, with local streetwear brands also rising to prominence here, from Don’t Blame The Kids (or DBTK), Sole Slam Manila to Team Manila to THE Clothing.
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Streetwear’s origins stemming from various minority cultures, like skate, surf and hip-hop, its underground nature originally, and even in the shape & form it takes today, with its still-growing popularity and rather “unique” style compared to the usual stuff you see all reflects its status as a subculture. Becker (1963) & Clinard (1974) have defined a “subculture” as any culture possessing “ distinctive shared values and cultural practices which are different from the mainstream.” (Blackman, 2014) In short, a culture whose tenets or values fall outside of what would be considered mainstream is considered a subculture. As of late, it has begun to permeate the mainstream, with the style of clothing associated with streetwear beginning to find a presence among popular celebrities and music artists alike, particularly because of the rise in popularity of hip-hop in the mainstream, but it is obvious that streetwear still remains within the margins that divide the mainstream and the status of “subculture”.
Is streetwear something lower class people can only afford? I've seen memes about it online.
An example of how streetwear culture is poked fun of, as framed by media. Given the market is saturated with counterfeit goods, streetwear is often quoted as a "poor man's" fashion statement.
Meme's cycling around Facebook talk about prices of each clothing Vice Ganda wears. Most notably, he wears OFF-WHITE, Vetements, Gucci and Louis Vuitton to name a few which are over PHP 100,000.
Prior the Rebel Lyf Philippines, it all started when social media framed a group of young teenagers who were draped in counterfeit goods.
An example of how streetwear culture is poked fun of, as framed by media. Given the market is saturated with counterfeit goods, streetwear is often quoted as a "poor man's" fashion statement.
Often times, streetwear is often misconstrued as something people of lower economic classes would wear. The rise of counterfeit goods would often frame people who are part of this subculture as either band-wagoners, people who would purchase fake items from local stores and among others. Women, especially young Filpinas who are in streetwear, see this as a negative constructs because it represents them to the point that they are viewed in society as either underprivileged, or people who cannot support themselves independently. Memes are often created by media (as shown above) in the sense it punches down the women who advocate for authenticity and who support local brands rather than to uplift them in the sense that these are women that are often underrepresented, given these constructs.
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YOUNG FILINAS: SEXISM IN STREETWEAR, THE EVOLUTION OF WOMEN'S FASHIOn
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*Click the pictures to scroll
“I think it's okay though not a lot of women are really into it anyway, so I understand”, when asked about whether women are underrepresented in streetwear culture, relating to there being mainly men’s sizes for clothing that falls under streetwear culture.
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-MISHA SALUD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, KORNER
As of late, it has begun to permeate the mainstream, with the style of clothing associated with streetwear beginning to find a presence among popular celebrities and music artists alike, particularly because of the rise in popularity of hip-hop in the mainstream, but it is obvious that streetwear still remains within the margins that divide the mainstream and the status of “subculture”. The scene still remains rather male-dominated, and while women have begun to embrace the culture, particularly the style that comes with streetwear fashion, it’s obvious that they still haven’t entirely warmed up to it. Misha, one of our interviewees, mentions that she understands why streetwear often comes in men’s sizes, stating: “I think it's okay though not a lot of women are really into it anyway, so I understand”, when asked about whether women are underrepresented in streetwear culture, relating to there being mainly men’s sizes for clothing that falls under streetwear culture. (Salud)
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The sexism seems to run a little deeper than just the business side of things as well, if our interviewees are any indication. A pair of our interviewees, Pam and Pat, both made mention of disapproving remarks from people around them because of streetwear. Pam states, “marami pa ‘rin people na nag-di-disapprove of this look” (a lot of people still disapprove of this look), and hopes for more forward thinking when it comes to fashion. (Pagulayan) She also mentions that in other countries, it’s okay to wear streetwear (the look, and all), but here in the Philippines, criticism will be lobbied against you for the look. (Pagulayan) This ties into a previous quote of hers during the interview that she gets “weird looks” when she wears streetwear, where she senses that there’s this general sentiment that she’s not “supposed to wear that sort of stuff”. (Pagulayan) She makes mention that she tends to look rather androgynous when wearing streetwear (Pagulayan), implying that people still subscribe to traditional gendered roles and imagery of males and females. The Philippines is heavily rooted in tradition and conservative cultural views, so it’s no surprise that deviation from the previously set norms are generally frowned-upon. Pat, during her interview, made mention of there being some level of discrimination leveled upon women who wear more masculine attire (which is where she classifies streetwear), with an added layer of classism added to the discrimination, as she further states: “(...) there's this stigma that if you wear streetwear, like if you are going to Shang, Manila Peninsula or Rockwell, like your mom will tell you, "Ano ba yan! Mag bihis ka nga!" (What are you thinking! Dress up, will you!)”, which operates under the assumption that articles of clothing typically associated to streetwear are simply not acceptable in certain locations that carry a reputation for being rather high-end. (Paner) There are certain expectations of what men and women are supposed to look like, act like, dress like and what not. Streetwear, being male-dominated, tends to have clothing that appears to be more masculine than anything, and such, tends to represent a deviation from social norms in the Philippines, which furthers the notion that streetwear culture is, indeed, something that can be classified as a subculture.
i'm a girl (or guy) that wants to get into sreetwear. what Brands are young filipinas into now?
Here we list down the most notable brands (foreign and local) that are often worn by young ladies. This is in no particular order and it's based on interviewees observation and experiences, as well as their preference and taste. You may inquire with us, if we've missed out on brands that young Filipinas are getting into this well.
(Disclaimer: This is not a beginners guide to purchasing streetwear brands. Read at your own risk.)
SUPREME (NEW YORK)
Either you hate it or love it, your typical Balut vendor or pedicab driver is wearing this very distinct and hyped up brand right now. Supreme was founded in 1994 by James Jebbia for skaters and by skaters, who he has helped open Union in 1989, as well as working with Stussy, upon starting with Supreme. The logo comes from the infamous propaganda art made by Barbara Kruger and now in 2017, resell market price for each pieces now go high as $15,000. Supreme has collaborated with the likes of Nike, Vans, The North Face and the most recent, Louis Vuitton. For young Filipinas, this is considered to be a holy grail for most, due the hype behind this brand. As far as getting their hands on these, remains a question. Normally, they'd tell us a woman who wears Gucci is more likely to buy Supreme.
A BATHING APE / BAPE (TOkyo, japan)
Bape was founded by Nigo in 1993 in a single store in Harajuku called Nowhere which he opened with his highschool friend Jun Takahashi (of Undercoverism fame). The brand’s full name is A Bathing Ape in lukewarm water, and has two meanings. The first and most obvious is a reference to the film Planet of the Apes. In 2003 Nigo befriended Pharrell Williams of Neptunes/N.E.R.D., which kick-started hip hop’s obsession with Bape. This was the first time Bape had ever really been introduced to the US (prior to this Nigo had thought of selling to Americans as too “mass market.” At this point the limits on the supply of Bape products essentially disappeared. The brand experienced huge success for a few years before beginning to lose momentum. This reduction in demand ultimately resulted in the brand’s devaluation, and in 2011 Nigo sold a 90.27% share to Hong Kong Fashion conglomerate I.T for $2.8 million USD. A timeless brand, BAPE has managed to stay under the radars of most pinoys today, especially young Filpinas who are currently getting into the fad.
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ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB (LOS ANGELES)
Helmed by Stussy’s Social Marketing Manager, Neek Lurk, the indie label brought to fruition as a means to cater to a crowd rarely represented, specializes in and has gained much traction for its relatable graphic messaging, pastel-colored garments and unorthodox product roll-outs. Mostly worn by millennials today, especially skaters and the like. This style is reminiscent of grunge inspired tees from Nirvana to Soundgarden, this brand has eventually shaped the urban subculture through the use of it's unusual font and very witty designs.
Virgil Abloh
OFF-WHITE c/o virgil abloh (MILAN, ITALY)
From being an intern in FENDI, to becoming Kanye West's Creative Director, Virgil has stepped strong into the fashion world, as well as the urban subculture of streetwear with his brand, OFF-WHITE. Inspired with the famous stripes, as well as the "quotations" in each collection, Virgil was able to set the bar with both streetwear and high-end fashion to the masses. A brand that not everyone can get their hands on easily, it is mostly seen with pinoys who cannot afford it's PHP15,000 T-Shirts which are being housed by Homme et Femme in EDSA Shangri-La & Rockwell.
Emil & Vince Javier. Founders of Don't Blame the Kids
DOn't blame the kids (manila, philippines)
Founded and Helmed by the Javier Brothers, Don't Blame the Kids (DBTK) has become the next prominent figures in the local streetwear scene here in Manila. They've just recently had their biggest collaboration with PONY and they're not stopping there just yet. You can see the progress within their work through the number of teens and young adults who wear them. For most pinoys (especially young Filipinas), they're the definition of what it means to support local brands here in the Philippines.