We meet Anupong Kuttikul, one of the central characters in Asia's emerging 'hypebeast' scene
Streetwear may be heavily associated with New York, but Asia has been an unsung global leader in the fashion revolution that’s all about hoodies, t-shirts, sneakers, and tracksuits. The products might not seem special to the uninitiated, but their limited quantities—sold by brands with a distinct style and ethos—gives them the cool factor that makes them beloved by Gen Z and younger millennials.
Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok have become immersed in in the “hypebeast” scene, the name given to the consumers determined to own whichever hyped streetwear is ‘dropped’ that week. In Hong Kong, queues snake around the block, with teenagers and university students fighting their way into 8Five2, a local streetwear brand famous for its skate videos and eyebrow-raising prints, or Y-3, a a collaboration between Adidas and celebrated Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. CLOT, the streetwear brand launched by Hong Kong actor Edison Chen and Gen.T honouree Kevin Poon, debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2018 to critical acclaim, and has fans across mainland China.
In Bangkok, there is Carnival, founded by Anupong Kuttikul, which is rapidly expanding around the region. Carnival's influences hail from the '80s New York hip-hop scene, and the brand is becoming increasingly popular around the country for its bold, clashing camo prints and flashes of neon. "I launched Carnival because I had such a love of sneakers, and then expanded into streetwear and other items," says Kuttikul. "Bangkok is becoming such a streetwear hub. In the whole Southeast Asia area, the scene is huge: we have stores around Thailand that offer such a wide selection of sneakers and streetwear. Many of them can't be found elsewhere in the region, so people come from around the world to find us."
Yeti Out, which is based in Hong Kong and Shanghai, says that global sales of its clothing doubled this year. Annual sales at Jakarta-based Paradise Youth Club—which has become a cult brand globally—are said to have risen by the same amount. And, like Carnival, the majority of their sales are aimed at those under 30.
"It's so popular all around the globe," says Kuttikul. "I think it is because streetwear is influenced by sub-cultures like music, art and fashion, and especially sports. The fashion world is always trying to find something new, and a new way of influencing people. Streetwear has become such a phenomenon because for the first time ever, it wasn't just sports companies that were selling sneakers and tracksuits, but cool brands. Since then, luxury brands have also got into this area and streetwear has blended into the mainstream market."