We are all for supporting local businesses, and one of our current favorite local clothing brands is Agape Kulture. In case you haven’t heard of Agape Kulture yet, this independent clothing brand is based in the South and was founded by Gio Manlangit in 2017 – and being locally made isn’t the only thing we love about it; we also love the heart and the message behind the brand.
Gio shares that he had always wanted to have a business that would reflect who he is, what he loves, and what he believes in. After graduating from college and working an 8-to-5 shift, Gio felt like he was wasting his time and realized that the corporate admin life simply wasn’t for him. There were days that he would finish all of his work before lunch and literally have nothing to do in the afternoon. Sometimes, he would even pretend to be doing something when he wasn’t. How sad is that? 🙁 “I was busy, but not productive,” he explains. “I’m a creative and I want an outlet because I’m burnt out, and the corporate life was killing me slowly.”
During that time, Gio heard pastors preach about agape love, and that word has always been real to him. Gio explains that ‘agape’ is actually a Greek word for an unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial kind of love – the love that we don’t deserve, but that was freely given to us. So, one day, during his downtime at work; he decided to do something productive, started praying for a vision, and started working on his brand – and boy, do we love it!
Whether you prefer solid colors or love to stand out, Agape Kulture has something for you. Their headwear in itself is something you should covet from their beanies to their bucket hats:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6aScbfDoBc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
They also have comfy shirts that will let you wear agape love loud and proud!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6K6OiIjuL0/
Our personal favorites, though, are their tie-dye items. They’ve got bucket hats that will really help you stand out in a crowd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5P2V1Vjo04/
They also have the comfiest and most stylish hoodies – this is my own personal favorite in their entire collection at the moment!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Nha24Dxc_/
Of course, their collection doesn’t end there. In fact, they are having their first ever collaboration with Found Music Fest. On their Instagram page, they say: “What a huge blessing it is to collaborate with a music festival with the same faith, same passion, and love for God and people. We’re stoked to be part of this year’s festival. It’s gonna be crazy!”
Here’s a sneak peek of the #agapefoundme designs that they pitched for the festival:
Are you calling dibs in your heads yet?
Agape aims to be more than just a brand; they aim to be a community and a movement loyal to its roots. Inspired largely by street culture and other subcultures, the brand is driven by its faith and love for street culture – and it really shines through. If you see anything you like, make sure to order it right away, though, before it gets sold out!
Agape Kulture
Instagram: @agapekulture
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