From the Hypefiends shoot, where the girls and I exhibited an array of “streetwear parodies”.

Following my last write up (see below), I received a personal email inquiring why we don’t often write about men’s “streetwear” here at The Fresh Fiends. I wasn’t going to acknowledge the subject or even reply to the email, because who am I to knock anyone’s hustle and also because I can’t relate to any certain “scene”, much less a MAN’S scene. But because this is the perfect platform to state my opinions, I’ll oblige my inquirer to the best of my ability. Back in the day, the term “streetwear” was coined to describe aspiring clothing companies who wanted to offer a high quality product (but something you couldn’t find in a department store), while incorporating the inspiration of their surroundings. Most of these companies consisted of surfers, skateboarders, and artists who had strong, legitimate, and influential messages to convey. But in any industry, rising demand and popularity increases the chance for a product to lose its integrity. The quality is compromised, designs get lazy, and the SCENE outgrows the MESSAGE like weeds in a garden. The number one reason we don’t acknowledge most streetwear labels is simple: the influx of the ego. The companies we DO write about are family and brands that we generally respect as human beings: those we admire as ARTISTS. And by nature, we support the ladies in all of their endeavors…that’s a given. But when it comes to the guys nowadays, the common ground for most labels seems to be based on who can “out-cool” who. That is NOT a message. We don’t care who came out first. We don’t care how quick you came up or how big you think your “buzz” is. Our concern is creativity, motivation, integrity, and above all else: the VOICE. This isn’t Hypebeast and if you’re sad about it, I truly apologize. Say something we haven’t heard before and then maybe we’ll CONSIDER writing about it. Until then, best wishes and let us get back to work, thanks!