5 Southeast Asian Streetwear Brands That You Should Know
Young, cool, and unapologetically Southeast Asian, these brands showcase the region’s dynamic and contemporary street culture
What Southeast Asian streetwear brands should I check out?
While streetwear finds its roots in Western culture, the movement has rapidly picked up influences from all over the world—and conversely, many communities outside its home base are now developing distinct scenes of their own.
Southeast Asia’s streetwear scene, while still having elements reminiscent of the West’s, has evolved to incorporate the region’s rich traditions, from textiles, folklore, to even localized slang and hyper-specific codes.
Largely driven by youth culture, streetwear in Southeast Asia is becoming less about mimicry or trend jacking, but a resounding movement in itself.
Here are some brands that should be on your radar:
SWE
SWE—Street Wear Eazy, in full—was established in 2016 at a time when streetwear was gaining traction in the Vietnamese market, especially among the youth.
Their latest collection, Brown Noise, encapsulates the brand’s take on streetwear: just like the dense and muted hues of brown, it shouldn’t shout for attention; it only needs enough depth to create its rhythm.
The collection carries this spirit by combining retro vintage with streetwear, playing with khaki, leather, fleece, and denim.
Visit SWE’s official website via this link.
Pestle & Mortar Clothing (PMC)
This Malaysian streetwear storytelling brand has actually already been around for over a decade, but if you peek at their Instagram account, PMC is undergoing a sort of reinvention and refinement.
They have made it their mission to ‘pay homage to the things we find familiar whilst growing up in Southeast Asia,’ and they have done so through their narrative-driven tees, which can still be found on their website.
Public Culture
Founded in 2015, Public Culture doesn’t shy away from bold visuals: prints, bright/neon colors, illustrations, sometimes cheeky or pop‑inspired themes. Many aficionados in Indonesia believe that it is the first local streetwear brand in their country to use vibrant hues and loud designs.
The daring designs paid off—just a year after it launched, the brand was already featured in Hypebeast.
Kaobeiking
This humorous brand will make you do a double-take on their spoof shirts that encapsulate distinctly Singaporean humor, language quirks, and expressions. Tote bags with the brand’s cheeky gags are also available.
Visit their official website via this link.
Matter Makers
Matter Makers is a Bangkok-based streetwear brand that knows no age or gender, capturing the very essence of urban culture: dynamic, chaotic, yet exciting nonethless.
Their latest collection, ‘Mission Failed’ transforms the spirit of challenge and rebellion into streetwear. According to the brand, it ‘blends the boldness of Chicano style, hip-hop attitude, and playful street style through tartan patterns, military camo, and tattoo-inspired graphics.’
Banner photo courtesy SWE
