Today we unpackage the Nike Air Fear Of God moccasins in a particle beige colorway for our weekly installment of “Opening Act.” Honeycomb bossman Kayo Cosio gravitates towards these as a universal pair of sneakers that are comfortable to wear in most situations and easy to match with any outfit. They were also pretty easy to cop since there are a lot of haters out there: Failing to win the raffle at Commonwealth on release day, he stopped by their shop the following morning to see if anyone failed to pick up their pair, and indeed two colorways in his size were up for grabs. “A lot of people call them basura,” he laughs. But the lightweight feel and understated design appeal to him.
Read MoreRaise Hell Shreds with Daily Grind
Streetwear is supposed to be about community, so what better way to strengthen those bonds than collaborating with local artists killing it just down the street? A great example of this is Daily Grind‘s new collab with Raise Hell, which drops today. The line of fanny packs, bucket hats, and five-panel caps feature Hell’s Sailor Jerry-type illustrations in all-over patterns.
Raise Hell, also known as Raizel Go, is no stranger to the skateboarding world. She’s been painting on decks from Calle Skate Shop for a while now. She’s also designed boards for both Calle and Daily Grind. And you can find Raizel herself rolling around the streets of Manila on a longboard or a fixie. She’s even got her own fixed gear clothing brand called BRKLXX.
Read MoreThe Psychedelic Boyz New Video is Blowing Up
It can be difficult to tell what’s going to blow up these days, but anyone who’s been paying attention to Filipino rap knew it was only a matter of time for Psychedelic Boyz. Their latest video “Rawstarr Til I Die” dropped back in April but just started to go viral this month. Earlier this week it broke a million views, according to director J. Estacio, and it’s already nearing two million. “I get tagged in a lot of videos from fans posting this song online, hanging out with their friends doing wild shit. Even babies and young kids be bumping to it. And there’s a parody video now too!”
Read MoreFreedom Print Lab: A Filipino Streetwear Foundation
Sometimes, you need to take fate into your own hands and cut out the middlemen. That’s the case with Freedom Print Lab, which is run by a few Filipino streetwear heads who were finished waiting for other people to get anything done. “We got tired of relying on outside printing suppliers and their schedules,” says co-owner Zei Tacasa. “So we were basically just like, fuck this, and started our own thing.” Now they run a busy silkscreen shop supplying a host of local brands.
Read MoreAkomplice Tackles the Issue of Gun Violence in the US
Akomplice clothing released a new collection this week called βPeace Vs. Piece,β which tackles the daunting issue of gun violence in the US. The lookbook, shot in a California cemetery, features a young model named Duke Abraham, signifying that, βThe youth can be the victim or the perpetrator, and are often those most affected.β
Read MoreArchie Oclos and the Tallest Mural in the Philippines
Twenty-two stories tall. Eighty gallons of house paint. One hundred cans of spray paint. One artist, no assistants. Twenty-four days. That’s quite a feat alone, but throw in an earthquake and now you’ve really got yourself a story. “Every day felt like a near death experience,” Archie Oclos laughs, recalling his time painting the country’s tallest mural last month. “But when the earthquake hit, I was on the scaffolding 12 stories up. The gondola was swinging and banging me against the wall. But once it was over I just kept painting, I had to finish it!”
Read More‘NYC To Paris,’ Jordan Brand x Nike SB – OPENING ACT
Air Jordan 1s. The OGs! Today head honcho Kayo Cosio unboxes a pristine pair for our inaugural ‘Opening Act’ series. The ‘NYC to Paris’ Jordan Brand and Nike SB collabo bring together basketball and skateboarding culture in an ode to their shared histories. These scrape-off, high-top sneakers feature a thin outer layer of smooth paint designed to wear away, revealing another colorway beneath.
Read MoreA Surreal Binondo Stars in Bawal Clan’s New Video
As high-speed internet gallops across the world, the moving image is changing the way we consume media, including music. In the Philippines, the popularity of rap has skyrocketed along with the rise of Youtube, like so many other regions. Viewers are drawn not only to fire lyrics and hard beats but also waves of fashion and intense visuals. Bawal Clan has been earning their place as a crew within the scene here for over a year now and their videos have been central to their climb. Miguel Aragon is the man behind many of them, including the “4 Door Honda” visuals, their first single off the new album Nightmare On 66.
Read MoreDezio Brings Bold Strokes to Life
When looking at photos of Dezio’s work closely cropped, they resemble small paintings on canvas with thick brushstrokes layered on top of each other. Wide, colorful ones in the background and skinny ones on top, their textures gleaming. But really, they’re large murals painted with spray paint on walls. It’s an explicit goal of his, taking the fluid motions of raw strokes and scaling them up in what are normally very flat works that miss texture. “In my graffiti, I started to do a lot more brush strokes you can tell like those big brush strokes and like trying to in a way put back the creation and the movement,” the Shanghai-based artist says while in Hong Kong as part of the HKWalls street art festival.
Read MoreKill Choy on Telling Filipino Stories
Kill Choy is an American living in Mexico creating woodblock carvings and street art, situated in a very localized scene in Mexico City. Given this context, you might not guess that she’s actually Filipina. Until recently anyway. A lot of her new works delve deeply into Philippines history and mythology, unfolding in epic battle scenes and tales of lore.
One piece tells the story of Mount Mayon and another the battle of Battle of Mactan. “I’ve become very familiar with Mexican culture and art since moving here five years ago, but realized I don’t have that familiarity with the Philippines because I was born in the US,” she says over Skype, a batok-style tattoo snaking out from under her shirt collar. “So as I made this series revolving around Filipino art, I was teaching myself my ancestors’ history.”
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