Angelo Baque founded Awake NY in 2013. Inspired by his native home of New York City and the dense intermingling of cultures on which it thrives, Awake NY captures the spirit and energy of the city and unifies itself with the youth of today while maintaining a blend of contemporary and classic imagery. Making a considerable effort to give back through various philanthropic pursuits, Awake NY sets itself apart from most streetwear brands of today. For brand founder, Angelo Baque, famously known as Supreme’s former Brand Director, the brand is but one part of the new, larger creative ecosystem he seeks to cultivate.
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Awake NY, the brand, operates as one leg of the Baque Creative Agency, dropping seasonally and collaborating often. Originally released exclusively through SHIPS JET BLUE in Japan, the brand at its inception was incredibly limited. Message-board culture may be all but gone but its remnants reveal numerous fanboys looking to get their hands on an Awake hat. Angelo Baque has brought the brand unique collaborations with streetwear heavyweights including Union LA, Some Ware, Noah, Patta and Virgil Abloh. Looking at Baque and his peers, it is evident that social and political awareness seems to be the next step for streetwear as a whole. Streetwear’s nature has always been anti-establishment, to a degree, and it seems the next generation’s anti-establishment stand will come in the form of education, self-discovery, and activism.
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While the name, “Awake NY” was originally just something Angelo enjoyed (he’s been doodling the letter “A” since his childhood), it’s come to mean much more to him with the growth of the brand and it’s reception over the last few years. At Supreme, Baque spent a lot of time building a community of skaters and characters that have come to be known as an integral part of the brand’s identity. Post Supreme, Baque is still looking to the youth in New York and around the world as inspiration, making it a point to hire young POC innovators and creators to be a part of his core team.
Shop Awake NY’s Spring Release on StockX, here.
