Why the world needs thisisneverthat
In South Korean brand thisisneverthat we see the recurrence of a trend that feels like it has always existed. The South Korean streetwear scene is, in an overly simplified word, insane.
A plethora of subcultures and established aesthetics are broken down by many brands bred in or around the region. The results often exemplify the sort of imagination and adaptability it takes to survive the fashion industry.
After all, even within the shortest of timespans, fashion evolves and develops at breakneck speeds. Fortunately for thisisneverthat, it’s a pace that can be adjusted to.
In 2009, when the brand would officially begin its clothing efforts, the idea was perhaps something much smaller.
The global streetwear scene had been largely led by what many referred to as “the West.” If it wasn’t the skateboarding-inspired attire of places like California, it was the Casuals look born on the football pitches of London.
In this way, thisisneverthat wasn’t ever looking to break many barriers, but that was likely what set them on the route to cult favorite. The founders of the brand – Park Inwook, Cho Nadan and Choi Jonkyu – had somewhat stumbled onto an underground status. As most of us know, that is exactly the sort of thing that precipitates mainstream success.
From K-Pop to the world:
The first piece of that new celebrity status would come to life via one of the biggest Korean Pop groups around, BTS. A member of the band wore the t-shirt while shooting a music video and the group’s huge fanbase feverishly searched for what brand it was.
When the fans eventually found out – via numerous blogs that concerned themselves with what BTS members wore – the upswell combined with the brand’s already established cult following.
Suddenly, numerous communities existing within the South Korean music and arts scenes chased thisisneverthat drops. The brand’s releases throughout the years would involve even more emphasis on a western influence.
For example, their 2014 Spring/ Summer collection, titled, ‘POLAROIDS’, very clearly harked back to staples in skateboard wear. Bucket hats, graphic tees, and coach’s jackets came together in that year’s latest from the brand.
We see more of the same in the 2015 efforts, highlighted by the ‘Lake on Fire’ collection. In that following Spring/ Summer drop, a captivating story played as background in a video lookbook that gave us more of the same wears.
This all culminates to the brand’s first-ever runway show earlier this year. These efforts aren’t without criticism.
Many have alleged that thisisneverthat is simply “imitating” or “copying” the aesthetics of longer established movements in the industry. Though there’s some merit there, the South Korean streetwear scene has been leading the way in reimagining iconic looks for quite some time.
It’s exactly this sort of approach that is partly responsible for the brand’s Supreme-like status, and what it hopes will be even more. This is thisisneverthat.