Brands to Watch
by JONMYKEL
Brazilian Underground Streetwear Brand—CLASS
While researching the Brazilian skate and streetwear culture, I found that the market is constantly growing with more brands and individuals taking part. CLASS is a Brazilian underground streetwear brand whose foundation is built on skate culture. The brand is located in São Paulo in the industrial hub. The creators of CLASS are Eric Cesar and his partner Rafaela Sayuri. In an interview, they were asked to describe the brand in three words. They used the words “classy, sophistication, and improvisação” which translates to improvisation. They started making 5 panel caps sewn by hand and that were made individually. They stated that they wanted to essentially “create a brand with a higher quality than what the market was delivering, thus CLASS was born” (Schwinghammer, 2022). The brand’s identity is with various aspects of Brazil such as music, Brazilian art, architecture, and more. CLASS is currently sold in Brazil and Japan. One of the biggest adversities facing the brand is the insufficiency of certain countries having interest in the brand’s culture. Despite that, Eric Cesar and his partner Rafaela Sayuri state that they enjoy blending technological and tailoring fabrics together to create a variety of garments. Their garments are not just catered to menswear. CLASS has a second brand in the group called SAY UR that caters to women’s streetwear. When Eric Cesar and Rafaela Sayuri asked where they see the brand in five years, they stated that they wanted to already have a “physical concept store” and that they want to “get stronger within skateboarding and be one of the pioness in exporting the Brazilian skateboarding and streetwear scene to the world” (Schwinghammer, 2022). Lastly, the brand is continuing to flourish and have meaningful collaborations.
Check them out at: https://www.classofficial.com.br/p/sobre
Taiwanese Fashion Label—Namesake
Namesake is a Taiwanese label/brand created by three brothers who are combining their personal history with their love of basketball. After the brothers finished their degrees they pursued their first endeavor which was NE. SENSE which is a Taipei - based concept store that markets various streetwear and luxurious brands such as Y/Project, Diesel, Rick Owens, Our Legacy, and more. Seven years later, the brand Namesake began. The brothers stated that the brand is a tribute to their father “who was the first to introduce them to the artful side of fashion” (Dazed, Bertolino). The brothers wanted this brand to serve as a tribute to the culture they grew up in and how they essentially felt like outsiders. Namesake has a great meaning behind the name which translates directly to “in the name of the father.” The brand sustainably sources fabrics and takes a sophisticated approach to streetwear and basketball. Each collection produced by the brothers has an overall theme/ meaning that relates to their culture in some way. Their fifth collection called ''Home Court '' was driven by the idea of “representing the process of giving love for home (origin) and receiving the love it gives back” (Namesake). The brothers mentioned in an article about how the environment they grew up in tended to avoid expressing love directly. Therefore, the brothers showed love through designing, basketball, and more. Their garments have been seen on celebrities, NBA, and NFL players such as Kevin Durant, Tyga, Russell Westbrook, J Balvin, Travis Scott, and more. Lastly, Namesake has been continuing to mesh culture with their brand by creating visuals and more to go along with their collections.
Check them out at https://namesak3.com/