How Salad Day Serves Maximalist Streetwear in Style

How Salad Day translates multiple influences into maximalist pieces

Salad Day is known for its handcrafted and more-is-more aesthetic, inspired by Japanese streetwear and culture. Founded by Willar Mateo, the brand takes root in much of his experiences back in high school.

“I didn’t want to use my name,” Willar recalls, when asked about his label. “Then I remembered my high school days, whenever I’d call any day that had something interesting a ‘Salad Day.’ That’s how it started.”

It was also back in high school when Willar—already an internet native then—painstakingly waited for images of Japanese streetwear to load on excruciatingly slow dial-up speeds, printing them afterward and collaging them with magazines that shaped his aesthetic and creativity. This became one of the foundations of Salad Day, which he began months after he graduated in 2011. 

“Japanese street fashion taught me that things don’t have to make sense to make sense,” he says. “It’s colorful, chaotic, but cohesive. That’s the energy I love.”

Internships molded his creative spirit—stints at the I Love You store at Cubao Expo and under designer Gian Romano exposed him to the workings of the fashion industry. He recalls then that the local streetwear scene was small, fragmented, and limited by access. 

“There weren’t many choices for people who wanted to get into fashion,” he reiterates. “Now it’s limitless—online, secondhand, vintage. You can find anything.”

Salad Day takes advantage of this overflow of influences. It thrives on recombination—mixing eras, fabrics, and references into something that feels both spontaneous and deliberate. Upcycling, for Willar, isn’t a trend but a natural extension of that philosophy.

 “I think we’re overproducing. It’s time to reinvent what we already have. Salad Day has always been about making use of things that are available instead of creating more waste.”

Through his maximalist creations, Willar adds to the Southeast Asian streetwear conversation by offering pieces to those who love showing up and out—something that he observes with the region’s style savants. 

“I think we’re all moving in different directions, but in a good way. We’re developing a distinct look—when I compare it to Western fashion, I feel like our scene is more vibrant and diverse.”

Chief of Editorial Content Patrick Ty

Photography Joseph Bermudez

Art direction Mike Miguel

Fashion Corven Uy

Grooming and hair Jean Anganangan, Crish Marfil, Patricia Marcaida, and Dhanver Serrano (Nix Institute of Beauty)

Model Christian Bootle (Monarq Agency)

Production design Studio Tatin

Production Francis Vicente

Lighting direction Rojan Maguyon