Inside Frame Vol. 3

If you ever visited FRAME in person, you might have had the opportunity of engaging in a conversation with this lanky gentleman in round gold framed specs, wearing rare Nixon watch that reads out the time, and strolling in mismatched Nike Dunks.

Beaming as he walks you through the floor, conversations about his eccentric approach to fashion, music, and life in general will leave you a little dazed and giddy.  

In the third edition of INSIDE FRAME, we delved into the eccentricity of Amirlan’s creative world.

Three words to describe yourself.

The only time I could limit to three words to describe myself would be on my last day on this planet -- when my existence is nears its end and I can complete my self’s “unfolding”.

People who know me often describe me as, “happy”, “tall”, or “weird”, but this is only what they see about themselves in me. The only thing which is definite is that I love you, as much as you love yourself. And, the only description I can give to myself is me being your reflection.

You have a unique style. How did you get into fashion?

The influences of hip-hop was huge. I found the way rappers dressed to be powerful. I found art in self-expression through the non-verbal language of style. I believe the “essence of style” could be described as an on-going journey of self-discovery and fashion is its playground.

Streetwear. What does this mean to you?

Before we would call it a cultural movement of cultivation based on pure inspiration from music, countercultures, art, and whatever is cool in the simple form of reinterpretation and remixing already existed sportswear, workwear, military-wear and everything that could be worn on the street (literally anything).

Right now, it is the official branch in the tree of the fashion industry. It revolutionized the industry of setting modern standards on the conceptualization, production, collaborations, releasing, and allowed people to appreciate fashion in the most accessible way.

Some people say streetwear is dead, with a misconception of it as "just a graphic on an oversized t-shirt". Yes, the trend of “streetwear” style in luxury fashion is fading out but this is the smallest piece of the actual picture. It’s beyond any garment or footwear, true streetwear is a spirit of freedom driven by a passion to create and tell a story about how you feel, what you see and what you imagine seeing. You cannot destroy what is real, the same way you cannot safe illusions from disappearance.

Favorite brand?

I love UNDERCOVER. The esoteric-punk aesthetic which is perfectly expressed through genius designs puts me in awe every season. But more than that, the brand speaks out to me and it feels personal... It’s like having a powerful connection to an art piece. You cannot explain if you chose this art-piece to appreciate or if the art piece chose you to be its admirer.

If this brand were a creature, how would it look?  

It would be all-seeing Gilapple with all the information of the universe encrypted in its seeds and with one big light to see and celebrate the only twisted and beautiful truth.

What is your creative interaction with fashion as a form of art?

Despite the fact of how much I adore fashion design, I don’t see myself in creating fashion. So far, I found my art in selling fashion. I’m specialized in providing light of understanding of ideas and stories that being created by designers through their work and customer’s self-exploration on how they relate to the designer’s story. Also, through the experience of practical utilization of fashion, letting people discover not only how comfortable is to dress cool, but how it’s applicable for their lifestyle.

Photography by: Mohammad Mhaisen (IG: @mmhaisen)

What’s on your wish list / must-have items for this season.

1. Junya Watanabe MAN x Carhartt: Junya Watanabe's collaborative work with American heritage brands is just outstanding with its ultra-creativity and consistency. For example, this blazer and heavy-duty work pants reimagined from Charhartt’s trademark duck canvas cloth, which was originally invented by Hamilton Carhartt back in 1915 and used in bib overalls for railroad workers. The design of this piece is perfectly balanced between art craftsmanship, sophistication, and function

2. Comme des Garçons Shirt: Comme des Garçons SHIRT is one of my favorites diffusion lines of CdG Empire. I feel it’s strong how Rei Kawakubo’s manages this consistency with its continuous interpretation of the most basic menswear staple like oxford shirts into edgy but wearable art-pieces. This coated shirt coach jacket and multi-color Oxford shirt from the latest collection is a proof of Rei Kawakubo's endless creativity.⁠ Both of these pieces are a fuse of Karl Benjamin's abstract art with CdG’s anti-fashion attitude in a form of contemporary menswear.

3. Brain Dead: I’m so sentimental when it comes to anything color-blocking and mismatching, particularly this cozy Brain Dead chore coat. When I’m wearing it, I feel like Tetsuo’s classmate from "Akira", skipping school and riding around Neo-Tokyo on my ultra-bike.

4. Fucking Awesome: How can I talk about FRAME and not even mention a single bit of appreciation to Jason Dill? His influence on streetwear and skateboarding, or his very existence alone is remarkable. What he did to streetwear and skateboarding, simply by just existing and being himself is just remarkable. You don’t have to agree with me, but Jason Dill is the reason why Supreme is cool and why “being extreme” with your vision is never too much. Graphic of this Ambulance Tee is about how sick Fucking Awesome is.