Take a page out of Cebu-based art director and graphic designer Chad Manzo about tasteful reinterpretation. His latest series entitled "SALTY" features Filipino icons and incorporates them on a variety of street culture heavy brands.
There's a very fine line that divides blatant ripoffs and absolutely brilliant reinvention. Chad Manzo's integration of the Filipino image on relevant brands is thought-provoking and urges one to reflect on the influence of street culture locally. His work is something to aspire for, for local artists. Especially those involved in the local streetwear scene. The art of design will slowly disintegrate into uninspired work that mean nothing if tasteless ripoffs continue. Chad's smart, and admittedly humorous series is the type of catalyst that the local scene needs – to remind local brand owners about becoming more mindful in designing. We are losing our ability to be unique, forgetting that we can represent a rich culture on our own without having to look to what's trending globally. "We should be able to push for a movement so far into the global race to the point that we can be proud to have our own 'Supreme', 'Palace', or 'Gosha'." Chad shares a vision where we are able to compete with these global brands we idolize.
SALTY is exactly why you think it was named as such. It's the knee-jerk reaction of people when they feel that something violates their fandom. Chad shares that the title is a sort of anticipation of the probable reactions people would have for the series. It would be the obvious reaction after seeing your beloved streetwear culture names associated with local icons, I believe, but Chad's series digs deeper. While an initial interaction with the art would make one laugh, it becomes increasingly clear that there are underlying themes to each piece. Further scrutiny reveals relationships that the amalgamated icons have with each other. Chad cited the consumption of the streetwear community of Supreme's products, that it is akin to the consumption of Lucky Me! Supreme cup noodles when one is on a tight budget. A somewhat ironic parallel that reveals a darker side to streetwear. "The clues are all in the titles", he says. Chad's personal views of the streetwear culture raises important awareness on the atmosphere we are creating locally. I hope this is a wake-up call for people involved in the scene. While most people might be more interested in looking cool than upholding the culture, there are still those like Chad who are hopeful for a progressive community. May this visual commentary be a foundation for the future.
You can check out Chad Manzo's series on his Instagram account @chadmanzo and his website www.chadmanzo.com
SALTY too sweet? Five pieces from the series is hitting merchandise soon, under the namesake brand. Let us know which graphic you'd like to see first by upvoting below.
Which five of the "Salty" designs are you interested to be printed on t-shirts?
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