The History of Streetwear

Here in California, in the late 70's and early 80's a new style emerged influenced greatly by street art and with a real feeling of freedom of expression. If the streetwear trend is traced back to it's origins one of the founders has to be Shawn Stussy, a local surf shop owner in Laguna Beach who transitioned his logo onto t-shirts which became an instant hit. The fashion was considered to be more underground because it initially developed in response to bold colors and styles and as the 80's progressed the rest of the world started to latch onto the trend.

Japan was one of the first cultures to adopt the underground streetwear style and they began to incorporate their local street art. We began to see more and more unique designs. With monogrammed prints, pop colors and the accompanying irreverent attitude, streetwear clothing began to specialize in promotion and mass communication. We can still see that today with many of the key streetwear fashion labels relying heavily on social media marketing and street teams as their primary marketing strategy. Streetwear is high fashion, there is no doubt about that – but the difference is that it refuses to be absorbed by the fashion industry. It is fiercely independent and has exploded beyond the reach of corporate dollars. It is an industry that is very much about the people who wear the clothing.

One of my favourite brands in terms of streetwear is up and coming label BMAModified. Spearheaded by head designer Miranda Amelia, the Los Angeles based company has brought underground streetwear culture back home to it's roots here in California. Initially founded as a body plug manufacturer, in recent months they have expanded into the realm of clothing with unique shirts, pants and jewelry in a range of stunning designs. I have never seen designs like these before, and in recent weeks imitations have began to crop up, proving what I already knew – BMA Modified has made it and established their name as a leading streetwear brand. You can check out their collection at www.bmamodified.com .