by Eshwaran
Culture Cartel 2018 – held from 1-2 December at the F1 Pit Building – is an eclectic mix of fashion, tattoos, art and sneakers. The inaugural event took three years to get here. Inspired by the rebellious nature of Street Culture, everything you see at the event is part of dream. The fact Mercedes Benz sponsored the event is crazy – to have such a big name sponsor a Streetwear event is almost unheard of.
But the event is pretty large, so here are a few labels to look out for:
Fashion
You can find a good mix of modern and vintage vendors, from OBEY and Fred Perry’s booths to resellers selling pieces from the 80s and 90s. Some booths are reselling Supreme and Anti-Social Social Club merchandise as well. Culture Cartel themselves also have a booth where you can buy vintage pieces and have a design printed over it. Prices generally range from $60 and up.
You should also check out the Nike x Carhartt both to see the latest line of clothes and shoes from the collaboration.
The tattoo booths have some hidden gems as well. Really worth checking out if you enjoy tattoo style prints.
Art
The entire second floor is a huge collection of art pieces. One of the main sets is a Berlin Wall-inspired panel, made by artists from the ASEAN region. The pieces transition from one art style to the next, displaying the truly vibrant cultures from each nation. Panels can be bought, separately or as a set.
These panels were painted specifically for this event, with some being finished up as the media tour was being conducted.
There are exhibitions for bigger artists as well, specifically KAWS and Bearbricks. With the value of each collection adding up to the price of a comfortable HDB unit, each piece is borrowed from private collectors, with many never having left the box till now. These pieces generally came from the artist’s earlier collection. It’s crazy to see, especially for KAWS, how the art form went from unknown to where it is today, having released collaborations with UNIQLO, NIKE and more.
Some exhibitions, like the one from Sam Lo, are a reflection of local culture and being. She takes the statement “Singapore is a fine city” to the next level. The art installations are truly worth checking out.
Tattoos
One whole section of the event is dedicated just to tattoo booths. With a good mix of local and regional artists, you get to see a wide array of tattoo styles and art. You can actually get yourself a tattoo on the spot!
Besides actually getting a tattoo, many had their art, t-shirt and stickers up for sale. Some of the stickers and t-shirts are worth considering, especially if you like the art form, but can’t bear the pain or get a tattoo.
Sneakers
To all my sneakerheads, you better not skip out on this event. With so many drops, it truly is the season of giving.
Limited Edt is dropping a bunch of Yeezys at retail price. It is a good mix of previously released Yeezys from V2s to 700s; if it has been released, it is up for grabs. There are only limited pieces, so you’d better run.
The next is the pre-order for the Jordan 11 Concords. With the unique “45” embroidered on the back, rather than his signature “23”, it is meant to replicate the original sample Nike had made when Jordan switched from basketball to baseball. But that sample was never put into mass production till now. There are limited pieces, and the Jordan 11 Concords have never failed to sell out, so you have to be early.
Limited Edt is also holding the ballot for the Adidas Consortium 4D, a 3D printed shoe. According to Limited Edt, there will only be 12 pairs released in Singapore, all of which can be bought through this ballot.
Besides these three big drops, you have the drop of the Adidas and Dragon Ball Z collab and the Carhartt x Nike collab as well, both of which have amazing pieces within the collection, with my personal favorite going to the Nike Air Force 1 Utility in the Carhartt x Nike collaboration.
From the new Jordan 1 “Unions” and NMD human races, there are many little treasures among resellers as well.
So basically, be early, or you might just miss out on some amazing drops just before Christmas.
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Floor Guide
by Germaine Leow
With hip-hop pumping out of the loud stereos, confident people donning the latest streetwear and bright lights falling upon the exhibitions, you may feel like the space is a bit overwhelming. So here’s a brief floor guide to help you on your way:
Exhibitions
Upon entry at Level 1 Room A, you will be greeted with exhibitions from established retail brands like Adidas, Puma and Nike showcasing some of their esteemed sneakers or fashion items.
You can also find gadgets at the showcase by Google, Samsung and more. Google brought a twist to street art with their VR painting programme, Tilt Brush. Contrary to the traditional delivery with spray cans, you could find people doing graffiti digitally.
Food
Heading over to Level 1 Room B, you can find an array of food stalls with trendy flavors fit for the occasion! You can find hot dogs, mac and cheese, local favourites and dessert to fill your tummies before you head up to the second level dive deeper into passionate culture.
Street Fashion
Street fashion is more evident on Level 2 Room C. If you head over to the core of 02-03, you will find a mini marketplace where vendors set up their own booths selling fashion items and collectibles. Of course, fashion is not only limited to the booths at the event, the people attending the event have on some pretty cool fashion pieces themselves bringing about the true spirit of street fashion.
Art
Along the booths of street fashion brands, you can find rows of art, some still in the process of being completed, allowing you to watch the artist make their craft. The pop of colour from the art pieces adds the cherry on top of the already picturesque set-up, perfect for you to strike for an Instagrammable photo!
Tattoos
If you would get your tattoo done by renowned artists in this scene, you can pop over to 02-02 where tattoo booths fill half the room. Even if you are not down to get inked, you can still watch other people get their tattoos done at the open-concept tattoo booths.
Toys
Toys are no longer just for playdates, they have built a presence for themselves as collectibles in the street culture. On both Level 1 and 2, you will be able to find private collections of toys like Be@rbrick and KAWS.
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Culture Cartel has truly highlighted the vibrant, sub culture scene in Singapore. Bringing together the various elements within it and putting it out there for all to see. With a long list of sponsors and exhibitors, there is truly something for everyone, regardless of which community you belong to.
Tickets to Culture Cartel start from $20 for a day visit.
