Formerly regarded as an outskirt of the fashion world that originated in New York City, the streetwear industry has ironically, become globally accessible. The cultural phenomenon has crossed barriers and borders whilst maintaining its ethos of individuality and identity politics for the wearer. Asian streetwear has especially benefited from the “hypebeast” trend, a generalised term for people (particularly men) who are dedicated to owning trending brand items— a reference to Kevin Ma’s sneaker blog turned multimedia and fashion conglomerate, Hypebeast.com. Brands release limited quantities to ensure exclusivity, or collaborate with cult fashion brands (who could deny the allure of Yeezy’s even if you hated Kanye?) to create a definitive brand experience that people wanted to identify and represent themselves through.
We explore the rapidly growing streetwear scene of Brunei, where more that half a decade ago the concept of streetwear was considered the realm of skaters, surfers or subculture kids. This is by no means a definitive list, but a starting point to discover some of the ingenious creatives in Brunei’s streetwear fashion industry.
After going viral for his ” Wo Shi Cina ” t-shirt on TikTok a few years ago, graphic designers turned entrepreneur, Sing Haw, and his business partner, Mark: have slowly built up a collection of limited-edition t-shirts that feature iconic Southeast Asian culture references. Peep their latest Chinese New Year drop which includes the ‘Realest Rabbit’ shirt with a rendering of the White Rabbit candy beloved in Asian childhoods, or lust over the sold out ‘Lucky Red Chair’ graphic tee that really needs no explanation. Sing Haw is inspired mainly by hip hop and street culture where geographical representation is a great source of pride and seeing locals wear clothing touting famous cities like Los Angeles or Chicago made him “want to come up with things that are relatable to us (in the Southeast Asia), so we can also be proud and represent where we’re from”.
‘Mad fanatics’, is what Kyoshinja stands for and they have certainly built a loyal fanbase with their global outlook. Kyoshinja has customers from Singapore, Malaysia and even Taiwan, who snap up the limited-edition collections that drop every few months. According to the founders, they “wanted to take the opportunity to shape the local fashion industry here, and create more choice of clothing” at a premium level of quality and design. Hip-hop street chic is what comes to mind as I browsed their range of graphic tees, hoodies and accessories like velour hats and chunky slides — one of the fuller rangers for local streetwear brands. They use imported premium quality fabrics like 220gsm cotton and are great at creating collections and designs which are on point with international fashion trends.
Black is always best, according to Kava. This homegrown brand walks the fine balance of combining casual and edgy. Think contrasting silhouettes and materials like faux leather with soft, draping fabrics that paints its wearer with an essence of style and boldness that the three-woman team behind Kava (Nazy, Kymia and Ivy) acknowledge as their design philosophy. “We wanted to challenge the gender and racial stereotypes like Muslim women couldn’t do or wear streetwear, or that our designs were for men or women only,” explained Kava’s founder and designer, Nazy Sam. They are quick to point out that Kava clothes are for both genders; their popular slack pants modelled on men and women, to drive the point home. With these driven #girlbosses behind the curtains, it’s no wonder that they have been invited to showcase their designs twice in Kuala Lumpur.
Originally a band community, Belait Town Hardcare Moshware has been around since 2008 but turned their sights to fashion after a decade. The Kuala Belait-based clothing line is focused on producing a combination of street and athletic wear in simple, functional cuts. Items like the t-shirt hoodie and the “You Don’t Have To Be Blood To Be Family” mesh shorts seem like staples that could fit in at the gym or on a coffee run.
Some might call him ‘crazy’ but Yuth’s founder doesn’t mind. “Oh yeah, a lot of people do but it’s just to express my feelings, what my clothing is all about,” Fuad tells me with a chuckle adding that while the Yuth brand identity may seem outrageous to some “we’re not doing anything illegal here, we’re doing something that we love.” Heavily influenced by music and the cultural representation of the ‘youth’ experience, the brand was established in Brunei but has already achieved international reach with feted pop ups in key Asian markets like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bali, Indonesia, where he studied. Fuad also hopes to eventually bring his love of men’s high fashion into Yuth’s future designs, trilling off a heavy designer inspiration list that piques my interest. Alexander Wang but ‘street’? Consider my wallet yours.
“It means there’s something for everyone here”, owner Sheikh Said explains about the brand name. Originally a thrifting business in 1999, Said changed direction to producing ready-to-wear clothing and accessories, after realising he wasn’t happy wearing thrifted items. “I love buying new stuff and found there was more value in that,” he said adding that his initial collections have completely sold out two weeks after launch, thanks in part to the help of his friends and brand ambassadors @Kurapak and @Aliqpombunai , who are both social influences. Said also works with his Indonesian dfdesign partner who runs the Bandung-based brand, Badges Invaders, from Indonesia. Options’ logo and design aesthetic references the Badges gritty, street-smart branding, but have been adapted to local style trends for an exclusive partnership between Badger Inv. and Options.
Afiq N. launched Fyre Lyfestyle in 2019 with a series of rap and grime inspired jewelry that immediately set the ‘ganas‘ tone he wanted to have for the brand. ” I’ve always been into street fashion and it was eye-opening (at college) seeing how everyone dressed…I’m trying to do something that nobody else is doing,” he explained to me about his vision. While some items, like the gun-slinging ‘holster bag’, may seem slightly shocking or impractical, Aqif is conscious of creative exclusive items that still embody the soul of a street warrior, just one that is always best dressed for the occasion.
As one the longest running streetwear brands here, founder Tarmizi Bahrin started Super Thirteen with the objective to support and associate the brand with local youth and giving back to the community. His passion for collecting band merchandise, and growing up in an underground culture, significantly influenced him and after visiting the Southeast Asian streetwear festival, Tempatan Fest. Tarmizi decided to unleash his creativity through clothing and streetwear, working closely with his in-house creative designer. Many of the collections or events under the brand support social causes or provide funding and support to in-need communities and local businesses. “We’re looking to work with local artists here to produce the first ever ‘Artist Series’ that includes designers, creatives and curators,” Mizi revealed about upcoming plans for Super Thirteen.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a Japanophile, you can check out Vibbe.arts’ line of geometric art styled t-shirts and totes that blend sharp graphics and typography with cultural references from Brunei. Their much loved ‘Kotaku Raisu‘ shirt is especially popular with consumers, with both iterations of the design selling our completely within weeks of release. The brand is focused on “the storytelling manifesto within the Brunei scene” and creator Pes says that watching anime as a kid has heavily influenced Vibbe.arts style. Pes say that he started thrifting at Bandarku Ceria in 2017, “slowly dipping my toes into different kinds of fashion” and drawing influences from his favourite music genres, hip-hop and R’n’B. Pes has committed to try and release a full Vibbe line of only monochromatic and intricate designs for 2023 as a way to challenge his visual creativity and designs.
We couldn’t have a streetwear feature without mentioning Uneek Skateshop. Chom, who is considered the pioneer of the skateboarding scene in Brunei, started out as a skater with a passion for skateboarding and promoting skate culture. With his own small line of Uneek branded skate apparel, Chom also makes a point to provide space for other local brands as they crop up over the years. He also stocks a heap of authentic items from international skate or streetwear brands that look good whether you’re pushing pavement or just walking to the kedai runcit. You’ll also find accessories and skate supplies like hardware, snazzy grip tapes and decks available here. Uneek is also proactive on hosting skate related activities like Go Skate Day competitions, and supporting their community of male and female skaters, which makes it a great stop to find fresh outfits and new friends.
Japan native Miho started Miyabi streetwear brand with her husband as a way to fulfil one of her biggest passions — bringing the Japanese aesthetic to Brunei. “I’ve always loved elegant and refined stuff that is also streetwear. We always wanted to make a brand that is uniquely a fusion of Japan and Brunei.” The term ‘Miyabi’ defined as a traditional aesthetic ideal referring to elegance or courtliness, opposite to the ‘wabi-sabi’ school of thought and Miho works with a trusted designer from home to bring her sketches and calligraphy to life. She hopes to be able to share the joy in her designs that are based on her culture’s traditions and festivals drawn in a modern Ukiyo-e style with the Bruneian public
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