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“Hanggang ngayon
nasa state of shock pa rin kami,” was Jann Eldric “Eldzs” T. Mejia’s
reaction when asked about his first experience selling Seafoam
Fashion shirts in a bazaar at the Pablo Gallery in Cubao Expo.
“We never thought of having Seafoam’s name printed on the same
poster as graphic arts giants Team Manila, Electrolychee, Boyagimat,
etc.,” he said.
Eldzs, a Fine Arts freshman student from the University of the
Philippines Diliman, is talking about Seafoam Fashion, a t-shirt
brand he co-owns with Finney Santos of UP Los Bańos and Tsard Chua
of De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde.
They started out as strangers in the social website Multiply.
Seafoam was initially owned by Finney, and Eldz, a t-shirt
“fanatic,” bought shirts from him. Then Eldzs met Tsard through
Multiply.
“Tsard started showing shirt designs to me. Then I gave him ideas
and then we started to collaborate. We posted the designs in
Multiply and people started to notice it and order, even though
there were no products yet. Tsard and I decided to create the
shirts,” Eldzs said.
 When
an invitation from the Pablo Gallery bazaar came, they decided to
join with Finney.
“The day the Manila Peninsula Siege happened was the day Seafoam
Fashion was born. And the day after that, we sold our shirts for the
first time at the bazaar in Pablo, and we went home with nothing but
money in our hands. From then on, we decided to take it seriously,”
Eldzs said.
For them, it was quite an honor to get invited for the bazaar and
join the ranks of their inspirations especially since they learned
that the event was exclusive for artists. Until now, they have no
idea how the Pablo Gallery knew they existed.
But with the advent of t-shirt giants like The T-shirt Project,
Proud Race, Animoism and Team Manila, what makes Seafoam Fashion
different?
“We’re just a new brand and we really can’t compete [with] their
level. We can’t deny we have their influences, because for us, we’re
still simple students who just love shirts. Seafoam is a graphic-graphican
pop culture clothing. What is now is what we print. Since people can
see some resemblance, they thought we’re ripping off the ideas.
People don’t know that we are friends with the said brands,” Eldzs
said.
Since it started five months ago, Seafoam Fashion is steadily
becoming more and more popular. Shirts easily go out of stock since
they are always in demand. The brand was also somehow featured on
Philippine television via Y-Speak! and Unang Hirit when some of
their interviewees wore Seafoam shirts.
Eldzs said that he never thought he’d have his own brand at such an
early age, “because I’m only 17.”
This summer, watch out as Seafoam Fashion officially launches lots
of new designs and a new look.
“I don’t think the t-shirt will ever go out of style. I know it
became big these past few years. But the t-shirt is a basic need in
our closets, the only thing that may be out of style are the shirt
designs – the cut, the print, the color. But the shirt is in and
will stay forever,” Eldzs said.
Asked about the future of Seafoam Fashion, Eldzs said, “I’m really
not sure. We’d rather focus on what we have now rather than think of
what Seafoam will be in the future. But one thing’s for sure, it’ll
be more successful because we work hard to run this.”
And as the Incubus song says,
“It’s so much easier
When Seafoam green is in Fashion.”
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For more information,
visit
seafoamfashion.multiply.com |
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