Streetwear Extraordinaire

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When Jerry Meng visited the Philippines as a possible location to open an urban streetwear fashion store, he didn’t know what to expect.

He saw lots of Filipino teenagers wearing different designs and labels but found no one cultivating the street wear movement.

“When I went out there I saw a lot of energy,” said Meng, a co-owner of Greyone, a retail store specializing in urban street wear fashion in Pasadena. “People get the wrong idea about the Philippines. It’s a developing economy or a third world country… but when I went out there I saw there was definitely a market, there was energy, there was opportunity and I realized that all these guys needed was a platform and a highway for them to access the goods.

“There was really nobody trying to bring this to the Philippines until we came along,” he added. “We are the only store that is up to date. Whatever comes out here in the US comes out in the Philippines at the same time. The only lag is shipping.”

The first Greyone Social outlet at the Rockwell Center became an instant hit. They recently opened another Greyone at Greenbelt Ayala Center in Manila.

Street wear in the Philippines is booming, said Meng.

In a way, the popularity of street wear in the Philippines is indicative of the progression of the street wear movement the past few years.

Urban Street wear used to be overlooked by mainstream designers and fashion aficionados as thug or skate clothing worn by kids in the US.

But what once was underground fashion for a niche consumer base, street wear has blossomed to a worldwide multi-billion dollar industry. Rapper Jay-Z’s Rocawear Clothing, Nike, Adidas, and independent labels like Creative Recreation and Crooks & Castles (C&C) are amongst those who have capitalized in capturing the urban street wear market.

And FilAms have become consumers and creators of this new breed of fashion. Hellz Bellz, C&C and Greyone are from Filipino American entrepreneurs.

“The Filipino and Filipino American market is strong because you have so many great designers. There’s an influence there that’s coming from that market,” said Meng.

Just look at what your kids are wearing and you’ll get a sense of urban streetwear fashion. From dark denim jeans, long shirts with a logo, crooked caps and white sneakers to polo shirts, sunglasses, suit jacket and khakis, urban fashion have encompassed all kinds of style for all kinds of people.

Meng said don’t confuse Hip Hop fashion for Urban Streetwear.

“Urban is more like Sean John’s, FUBU’s, and Triple 5 Soul,” said Meng. “Streetwear is more of a culture. It’s a bunch of different elements. You’re talking about a lifestyle. It’s skate, surf or LA graffiti, those are all under the gamut of streetwear.”

“We don’t just treat this as a regular retail store,” he added about the street wear approach to business.. “We invite our [customers] to parties, tie it in to corporate brands. It’s basically creating a lifestyle environment not just a commerce or business transaction. We’re trying to send a message.”

FilAm Dennis Calvero created C&C, a popular street wear clothing brand a few years ago. He’s seen the market emerge from its infancy in the 1990’s to what is now – a global streetwear culture.

Football and basketball players, actors and rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West, among other celebrities have donned the C&C logo.

It’s not just your kids wearing streetwear anymore.

“This is the style right now,” said Jon Palos, who works in marketing for C&C. “Whatever IT is. This is IT. This is the kind of clothes that people we grew up with wanted to wear. It’s a lifestyle brand.”

It’s exactly this lifestyle that these designers, who grew up during the 1990’s hip hop and gangster rap movement and alternative music scene are trying to replicate.

“From Hampton cool guys to gangster T’s,” he said. “The designs are political and/ or sexual [but] the common denominator is they all came from the same background – they grew up in the early and mid 90’s movement and now they are trying to profit their passion for fashion.”

Meng said don’t expect street wear to go away anytime soon. Although some critics label street wear as a fashion fad, Meng believes that it’s more progressive.

“Our culture is street progressive,” he said. “It’s not just apparel but I think it’s a movement.” (www.asianjournal.com)

(Published November 12, 2008 p.mgzn6 LAMDWK)

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