5 Asian brands to discover this summer

When it comes to Asian-based streetwear brands, we often focus only on Japan. And while it is true that this country has contributed enormously to the international streetwear culture with its eclecticism and its rich tradition of textile and tailoring techniques, there is also no shortage of brands in South East Asia whose production represents an interesting stylistic exploration of that oriental style that Japan has shown to the world. In addition to the classic Japanese fashion offerings, therefore, this list also includes an Indonesian and a Korean brand – in reality, however, it would take a much longer list to celebrate the style that independent brands born on the Asian continent have developed in recent years. 

nanamica

Founded by Eiichiro Homma in 2003, nanamica is a brand that focuses on the outdoor world combining the focus on the performance of classic techwear with a classic and minimalist aesthetic. The fit of the clothes designed by Homma is wide and relaxed and all the emphasis of the design is on the careful construction and utility details of the garments. Although eclectic in its influences, understatement is the aesthetic essence of the brand, which produces everyday essentials yet extremely refined. 

Instagram: @nanamica
Official website:nanamica.com

M.A.N.K.I.N.D.

An Indonesian brand based in West Java, M.A.N.K.I.N.D. specializes in a particular reworking of Americana that incorporates elements of Mesoamerican culture and Native American culture into its iconography. The concept of the brand is precisely the celebration of humanity, its different cultures and civilizations through fabrics with creative dyes, tailored suits, embroidery, graphic prints of bright colors obtained through local techniques and craftsmanship. 

Instagram: @m.a.n.k.i.n.d
Official website: thisismankind.co

Engineered Garments

Many Japanese brands were born to reproduce and reinterpret (faithfully or not) the American aesthetic: jeans and cargo pants, utility garments decorated with pockets, shirts with distressed fabric. But when Daiki Suzuki decided to create his own brand, strong of his experience as a buyer for the multi-brand cult Nepenthes, in Tokyo, he also decided that his clothes would be authentically Made in the U.S. He was born so Engineered Garments, now in its eighteenth year, it has a production chain concentrated within New York but its aesthetic is undoubtedly Japanese in taste for the studied, characterized by utility details. 

Instagram: @engineered_garments_tokyo
Official website: engineeredgarments.com

Vuiel

This Seoul-based Korean brand designs high basics with a soft and fluid aesthetic. If shirts and sweatshirts are conventional enough considered the standard of a modern streetwear brand, Vuiel's strength lies in outerwear, blazers and distressed denim shirts. The oversized shapes and fit of the long coats, the oversized biker jacket and especially the Teddy Jacket are elegant and relaxed together, while the double-breasted blazers with hidden buttons represent an interesting twist on the classic men's wardrobe item. 

Instagram: @vuiel_official
Official website: vuiel.com

Facetasm

Founded in Tokyo in 2007 by Hiromichi Ochiai, who in 2016 became one of the finalists of the LVMH Prize, the brand is dedicated to the street culture of its city but is reinterpreted in a free and fun way. The highlight of Facetasm is the creative combination of prints, materials and colours applied to deconstructed garments and always equipped with an original twist. The concept of the brand is precisely the combination of different styles according to a philosophy of accumulation and multiculturalism. 

Instagram: @facetasmtokyo
Official website: store.facetasm.jp