WHEN IN MANILA bows down to our country’s countless independent artists, who create world-class products and inspire other artists to do the same. Such as this radical clothing line that we recently discovered — CULT.
“CULT sees all” is the brand’s mantra. Their recently launched collection is a marriage of black and white colors. Their original designs and style appeal to both male and female fashion tastes.
But with only a few designs available as of now, this promising local brand has left its (already nearly a thousand!) followers hanging and wanting more. There’s no other choice but to wait and see what they’re brewing next.
It wouldn’t be surprising to know, if a few months from now, CULT penetrates a more diverse audience from different walks of life across the Philippines — and even overseas.
We did an exclusive interview with Mr. Carlo San Jose, CULT’s founder and creative director. Read on to find out how he single-handedly launched one of Manila’s most radical line of street wear brand today!
WIM: How/When did CULT start?
CSJ: CULT is an independent street wear label based in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 2013 by Carlo A. San Jose, with a goal to create bold designs that communicate with it’s audience, ultimately leaving a lasting mark not only in the industry but also to street culture at large.
My work experience pretty much lead me to this path. I designed for Tribu (footwear) then for Kurv (skate/lifestyle) then for Team Manila (apparel/lifestyle) before going to Create.ph (Web Design), so I pretty much knew the industry. I also knew I was restless and wanted to start a business. I’m into a diverse mix of things, graphic design, hip-hop, skate graphics, apparel, sneaker culture, iconography, etc. Basically I started with what I knew and from there I pulled all my resources and created CULT.
WIM: Who are the people bhind CULT?
CSJ: Just me actually. I’ve had experience in brand building and creating and apparel line with other people before. It was a conscious decision to for me start CULT without partners, it gives me more creative control on what direction the brand is going to take. The downside is I have to shell out more money, I have to do all the work, from buying the raw materials, to design, to marketing, to finding suppliers and retailers, getting the models, setting up the shoot, everything. The upside is the payoff. When people like your work enough that they would spend their hard earned cash for a product that you made, that’s like the greatest compliment they could give you. It means you are doing something right.
WIM: What/Who are the inspirations for CULT’s products?
CSJ: I admire certain street wear pioneers: Erik Burnetti of Fuct, Nigo of Bape, Hiroshi Fujiwara of Good Enough, Shinsuke Takizawa of Neigborhood, and Shepaerd Fariey of Obey. They had different ways of dong things in terms of style and taste but I liked how they stuck to their vision and expanded it to a global scale. That’s what I try to do with CULT. Every time I create a design, I ask myself, will it work for the brand? I always think of the big picture. This assures the consumer that everything that comes out of CULT is of high quality and stays true with the brand’s vision.
WIM: What makes CULT unique from other street wear clothing stores in Manila?
CSJ: The designs are all original, created specifically for the brand. The products are independently produced. I try to maintain a high standard in terms of design and production. It caters to certain demographic and stays true to it’s vision. I wouldn’t put out something that I myself wouldn’t wear.
And because I personally dig their designs, I’m giving away an original CULT clothing t-shirt to two lucky readers of When in Manila!
To join, just follow the four easy steps below!
Note: This contest is open to any Philippine resident. The prizes may be claimed via meet-up or shipping.
I will announce the winners next Friday, August 30, on my Twitter. Stay tuned! Updated:
The winners for @WhenInManila‘s CULT Clothing shirt giveaway are Joel Trinidad (@xjoerux) & Timi Uysingco (@ToniTimiTonTim)! I’ll PM you! 🙂
— e r i n (@basterda) August 30, 2013
WHEN IN MANILA, make sure you check out all the cool stuff from CULT and share them to your friends!
C U L T
available at Parafreaq
2nd Floor, Vmall Greenhills
Facebook: /cultseesall • Instagram: @cultseesall
