ISSUE N° 2

by: ZJ Pan, Fashion Team Member

When I think of streetwear I see bold use of color, aggressive patterning, strange textile, everything that is associated with unpredictability. Indeed, streetwear is unpredictable.

Streetwear is often, almost all the time within streetwear communities, associated with hypeness. Supreme, Off-White, Gucci, Raf Simon, Balenciaga, Fear Of God, Louis Vuitton, Yeezy are current labels of streetwear, and the positive correlation between price and styling is dominating the streetwear scene.  While those brands are dictating the tide of streetwear, we remind ourselves that we shouldn’t abandon our authenticity and creativity. As we, like everyone else, are unpredictable.

The settings of the Issue No. 2 photoshoot carry out our belief. Perhaps the most unpredictable thing we did is throwing the most hyped clothing pieces on a worn-out and ugly couch and asking the models to sit and stand on the couch. Expressing the belief that streetwear is not defined by trends or hypeness, each model has two outfits that exhibit both our aesthetic of contemporary streetwear and unique interpretations of streetwear.

Such unique interpretations are expressed through the duffle coats, chino pants, dresses, leather jackets, pieces that are more chic and not known in current streetwear scene. As we incorporate the unusual clothing selection into a fairly hyped and worn out streetwear setting, this hybrid resembles a clash between two ends of a spectrum, with the purpose of exhibiting a rebellion within and out of streetwear.   

Photographer Fong Lian Lim incorporates his aesthetic into the setting as well. His interpretation of the unpredictability of streetwear has an unpolished vibe, conveying the essence of streetwear as raw and truthful. The ideas of photographing the bathtub and fridge and the highlighted couch all popped in random conversation and were inspired by a punk rock song I played him a couple weeks prior the photoshoot. Fong’s idea and creativity didn’t hide behind a conversation; it became a statement. The goal of ALT is to create statements and expose them to new people.