Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

“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)

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by AJPress

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."