From The Straits Times    |
Not Cool Enough new Singapore streetwear label THUMBNAIL

The days of streetwear staples like oversized tees, hoodies, baggy pants and sneakers belonging only to the skaters and b-boys are long gone; high fashion has adopted just about every permutation of streetwear now ‒ slapping a multi-zero price tag on it in the process (think Givenchy print tees for example or haute couture sneakers at Chanel).

But this doesn’t mean that streetwear has passed out of the arena of the ordinary stylish shopper, particularly when emerging fashion labels offering their own take on the trends are popping up all over the place alongside new multi-label streetwear stores that are stocking unique brands from around the world.

Not Cool Enough new Singapore streetwear label DECORJust a few of the many Instagram pics featuring new Singapore streetwear brand Not Cool Enough that started with fans and turned into a stealth marketing campaign.
Images: Not Cool Enough

A new brand that’s been stealthily launched in Singapore via social media and word-of-mouth is streetwear label Not Cool Enough from the creative minds behind Singapore alternative labels Depression and its more fun cousin Antidepressant. NCE, as it’s known, is a pure t-shirt based streetwear brand that features text and font as graphic images on oversized tees, tank tops, sweatpants and snapback caps. Its all unisex, one-size-fits-all aesthetic fits right into the wider streetwear groove of brands like JoyRich, Original Fake, King Stampede and early Supreme (when it was more about tees and less about expensive jackets).

NCE has gained traction with the “cool kids” of Singapore via its stealth marketing plan of using buyers’ Instagram pics of the pieces being worn every day; early on the staff of Depression’s brother store Sects Shop featured heavily, but as the brand awareness grew soon everyone was wearing it and posting their pics.

Other up-and-coming streetwear brands at Sects Shop like Sugar Pills from Poland ‒ a brand known for its semi-religious take on digital prints (think stained glass windows and classic artworks on oversized sweatshirts) are proving to be another sell-out brand, as is popular Korean brand Human Potential which does its own prints on tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, caps et al and is most famous for being owned by the wife of one of YG Entertainment’s in-house producers (therefore it’s been worn by a heap of major K-Pop stars).

When the Orchard Gateway mall finally opens in April 2014, there’s going to be a whole lot of new exciting streetwear brands on offer to Singapore shoppers, and more conveniently than at current, out-of-the-way locations.

Long-time alternative multi-label store Actually will be returning with an offering in Orchard Gateway; Sects Shop will be expanding into a larger space; and the creative geniuses behind Butterfactory ‒ Bobby and Ritz ‒ will be going into business with Singapore designers Gilda Su from Revasseur and Samuel Wong from Evenodd, to open Superspace. This multi-label store and salon will feature emerging streetwear-based labels like KTZ (UK), KYE (Korea), Sibling (UK), Starstyling (Germany), WIA (Spain), JoyRich (US), Balmung (Japan), Bobby Abley (UK), Daniel Palillo (Finland), Bodysong (Japan), MellowPlanet (Korea) and Singapore labels Mash-Up, Evenodd, Revasseur, Feistheist and Ling Wu.

With sneakers and sweatshirts featuring heavily on the Autumn Winter 2014-15 runways, it looks like streetwear is here to stay as a major fashion trend; show you’re “cool enough” by picking up something a little “street” the next time you’re on Orchard Road.

For more information about Not Cool Enough, go to www.facebook.com/ncenotcoolenough; prices range from $59 for tank tops & snapback caps; $69 for tees and $89 for sweatpants; the brand will launch varsity jackets, long-sleeve sweatshirts and sneakers soon. Not Cool Enough is available from Sects Shop, located Cineleisure Orchard #03-06, for more information go to www.facebook.com/SECTS.SHOPbyDEPRESSION. The new Sects Shop will be at Orchard Gateway #04-14, 277 Orchard Road from May 2014. Superspace will be located at Orchard Gateway #02-18, 277 Orchard Road, and will open April 23, 2014. For more information about Superspace, go to www.facebook.com/THESUPERSPACE.

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