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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 benefitted from the “hypebeast” trend, a generalized 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 than 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.