New York is considered to be one of the capitals of world fashion. This is a city with bright inhabitants who are not afraid of fashionable experiments. Its streets are literally overflowing with boutiques. However, residents of this metropolis prefer comfortable clothes, while maintaining a bold and even somewhat extraordinary style. The Awake NY brand with its streetwear maintains the perfect balance between the energy of youth, great design and a multicultural community spirit. Find out more at queenska.com.
Who did found it?
Awake NY was founded by the designer Angelo Baque. He grew up in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens. From childhood, Angelo showed a great interest in photography, fashion and art. In order to satisfy his curiosity about clothing design, Baque often took the subway to the SoHo district of Manhattan. It is a popular shopping destination, famous for its designer boutiques, trendy chain stores and elite art galleries. Refined cast-iron building facades and cobbled streets create a special atmosphere for connoisseurs of fashion who have fun in the local restaurants and trendy night clubs.
In 1997, Baque combined his love for underground hip-hop and photography. At that time, he was a trainee at The Source, a music magazine about hip-hop and subcultures. Continuing to look for new opportunities, Angelo got an internship with the famous designer Jeff Staple, at The Fader magazine.
Subsequently, Baque got a job in the store of the Stüssy brand, which clothes are stylized according to the youth fashion of the 1980s and 90s. After opening the first store in New York in 1990, people began to notice the influence of the brand on the youth style and culture. There, Angelo worked under the guidance of James Jebbia, who was then involved in the creation of the Supreme brand.
Work at Stüssy presented Baque with valuable acquaintances with influential representatives of the fashion industry and buyers from all over the world. At the time, when online stores were not yet so popular, customers from Great Britain and Japan came to New York, looking for exceedingly rare products.
It all started with T-Shirts
In 2003, the owner of the retail shop Nom de Guerre, Will Whitney, offered Baque a job. He put forward the idea that Angelo creates his own brand of T-Shirts and sells it at Nom de Guerre. The designer agreed. This experience taught him how to manage a brand and attract new customers. Angelo’s role was also to create clothing lines for the first four seasons of Nom de Guerre and provide the store with photo installations.
Baque called his brand of t-shirts Absurd. It became the predecessor of Awake NY. A T-Shirt with a bold print featuring the basketball player Patrick Ewing near the Twin Towers gained special popularity.
Launch of Awake NY
Between 2006 and 2016, Baque worked at Supreme as a brand director. Angelo contributed to the fact that the company influenced streetwear culture. In addition to clothing and accessories, Supreme manufactures skateboards and sets trends in skateboarding and urban fashion.
Simultaneously at this period, Angelo worked on the creation of the Awake NY brand, which he launched in Queens in 2012. For the first few seasons, the clothing was sold only in small batches at the Ships Jet Blue retail store in Japan. The brand was for Baque a way to express himself inventively outside of his everyday work, creating unique products.
In 2016, Awake NY introduced its first product in the territory of the USA, a cap with bold accents, available in a variety of colors. All the income from the sale of these caps was directed by the brand to help pay legal fees for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe case. At the same time, Baque was working on launching his own creative agency, Baque Creative.
Every Awake NY line was sold out in record time. Interestingly, in the first years of the brand, Baque did not only conquer the heights of the business world but also overcame personal obstacles. The name of the brand reflects his path to sobriety and a healthy lifestyle.
A combination of the incompatible
Deeply connected to the New York cultural scene, Baque was able to push the traditional boundaries of high and street fashion in all his works. Historical figures such as Michelle Obama (lawyer and former first lady of the United States); Nelson Mandela (South African human rights activist, politician and lawyer); Angela Davis (human rights activist, who defended the rights of dark-skinned prisoners) are often depicted on brands’ T-Shirts.
Awake NY’s seasonal collections are based on the eclecticism of downtown New York in the early 1990s. Eclecticism is not just about mixing styles. It is the art of harmonious combination of contradictions. The brand’s collections are expanded with every season. Designers add, for instance, sweater vests, coats and suits. Considering that each product is retained on the online store page for only a few minutes, it becomes clear that Awake NY manages to convey a young, modern spirit in each project.
In general, street fashion is characterized by convenience, practicality, comfort and restraint. It incorporated elements of sports style, classics and even informal clothing. When street style was just born, its followers were accused of a lack of taste and a desire to combine the incompatible. However, later, admirers of street fashion proved that it can be not only interesting, but also become the basis for creating rules.
Although street fashion appeared under the influence of subcultures, it represents significantly more than just street style. All cities and countries define their own trends. There are certain elements in such clothes that can be easily used in everyday life. There are also strange and often socially unacceptable solutions.
Comfort is a fundamental aspect of street fashion, which can be traced in oversized hoodies, baggy jeans, etc. One of its defining features is also unrestrained freedom of self-expression. Designers of such clothes are not limited by social norms or the latest catwalk trends. They use clothing as a canvas to showcase their unique features, interests and their own identity. Bold colors, eclectic patterns and vintage findings – all these things allow you to break free from traditional constraints.
In addition to its own offerings, Awake NY constantly collaborates with various brands. Some of them are Levi’s, Carhartt WIP, ASICS, Vans, Nanamica, Reebok and Moncler. In 2024, the brand introduced a collection of sneakers designed together with Jordan. The collection embodies New Yorkers’ love for basketball and street culture. By the way, the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan is from New York, particularly Brooklyn. It was for him that the Jordan brand was created.
Reflecting diversity
Awake NY showcases the diversity of the Queens and New York community with its collections. One of the most important aspects of the brand is inclusion – the process of increasing the acception of all citizens in society. The need for inclusion is felt primarily by those who have physical or mental disorders, for instance, people with disabilities.
The brand cooperates with local and nationwide organizations to support underserved communities. For example, partners of the brand are Building Black Bed-Stuy, Children of Promise, NICE, Sky High Farm and Scope of Work.