CONTEXT:

When we first started planning the LiFE AFTER: SPiFF (Pop-Up), it was literally just that– a pop-up shop for you to come through to see and cop the new gear I’d been working on all summer. But with every ube latte chugged at Nirvana Soul, more and more ideas came to light from the fusion dance of creative minds powered by caffeine, turning this into the most ambitious event our brand has ever hosted. Since there’s so much going on, we figured that we should break down the top five reasons you should be at our first ever interactive Pop-Up shop.

5 Reasons You Need to be at LiFE AFTER: SPiFF

1. First dibs at the next collection of SPiFF Gear

Let’s get this one out of the way first since it’s likely the most obvious reason. If you’ve been rocking with SPiFF P. for a while now, you already know that the streetwear we put out has evolved to the point where the quality of the gear matches the quality of the ideas and concepts behind them. This time around I revisited old designs I had produced and remixed them to give the OG supporters something to feel nostalgic about and the newer members of our community a chance to learn about our roots through our clothing.

In all honesty, I could write an entire essay on the thought process behind each of these pieces, so it might be better if you just come to the event and let me excitedly rant to you about it in person. Lemme give you the TLDR of sorts (Pictures included lol). 

At LiFE AFTER: SPiFF you’ll be able to cop the:

• New OG Logo SPiFF Tee
• LiFE AFTER: Dragon Flowe Tee
• LiFE AFTER: Yuta Tee
• “How Am I Supposed to Feel?” Long sleeve

Each of these are printed on everyone’s favorite blank produced by Los Angeles Apparel; the mock neck-type collar, cozy, heavyweight feel, and slightly baggy fit make it the go-to tee for almost every streetwear brand to add their designs on. It’s def on the pricier end and this isn’t an ad for them, so I wanted to give you a heads up as to why you’re paying $45+ for a tee :) lol.

We’ll also be doing some in-person deals for the gear from our previous collections, so if you’ve been eyeing some of our pieces, this is the best chance to cop!

2. On-the-spot Customization

I’ve always been the type to put my own spin on the gear that I drop. It hella hypes me up to think that when I crop a SPiFF tee, paint a dragon on a sleeve, iron on a patch, or whatever else my mind could think of, I’m instantly creating a 1/1 piece of clothing that no one else has; I’m getting to the point where I always want to customize and add my personal touch to all the SPiFF gear I rock. So for this event, I wanted to give y’all a taste of that feeling– thanks to the homie, Juliette, it’s actually possible.

Juliette graciously agreed to come through to the event and spend the first 2.5 hours as an in-house seamstress, offering to customize any SPiFF gear you got, on the spot. All you gotta do is buy some clothes along with one of our customization packs (filled with 3 different patches, the first ever SPiFF Croc Charms made by the one and only @davidgotkicks, and event exclusive buttons), and boom: free customization (tips for Juliette appreciated tho LOL). We’ll have a range of different options for you to choose from and examples of what's possible on display for you to be amazed at. haha

I legit can’t express how insanely stoked I am for our event to be offering this service for y’all– I hope that seeing someone alter some SPiFFwear right in front of you will serve as the inspiration you need to realize that you’re one step away from making your fits and vibe completely different.

Its like a metaphor for what it’ll take to change your life, ya feel? No? Nvm. lol

3. Music Sets from Local DJs, Producers, & Artists

A few years back, the homie Missile Toad and I set out to throw our own event that he could DJ at. It was in planning that music showcase that I ended up meeting my girlfriend, Priscilla, who is a big reason LiFE AFTER: SPiFF is even happening. This SPiFF version of the Avengers had the power of youth on their side, but we quickly realized that we had no idea what we were really doing, resulting in absolutely nothing happening LOL. 

But all these years, I kept the idea of having a space to showcase M. Toad and the rest of our creative homies in the back pocket of the raw denim I was trying to fade. As SPiFF further developed to what it is today, we made the efforts to understand what it would actually take to successfully host the space we imagined back then. 

I truly hate starting something and not finishing it, so I’m happy to finally cross this off the bucket list with a lineup of artists that I can’t wait for y’all to see perform. In this next week, we’ll be announcing who exactly you’ll get the chance to see perform live on our social media pages, so I’ma just leave it at that for now. 

4. A chance to be featured in our next lookbook and be a SPiFF model 

Literally a few days ago, I met with one of my favorite videographers and creatives that I know aka Andrew Street. As I was explaining to him the concepts and activities for the event to prep him for the video he was going to create the day of the pop-up, he asked me a question that I thought I had the answer to. 

“What makes this event different from every other pop-up?”

He was pretty much wondering what he was going to document that would make this video more than just a tiktok or reel you mindlessly scroll passed while on the toilet. Lmao Pretty much the hard-hitting question that I needed to hear to really make this the interactive SPiFF Pop-Up I claimed that it was.

After some careful consideration, I realized that if I wanted this event to truly involve the community of people who took the time out of their day to show up for us, we had to orchestrate something that involved them in the creation process of our brand.

What better way to do that than to offer the chance to be a model in our lookbook for the next collection of gear and work with the photographers and videographers that have helped mold the look of SPiFF?

No modeling experience is necessary; all we want is people who are down to come through to the event right when it starts and be in front of the camera. We’ll have the lovely @jzr_yl there to help with posing, @DeluxeJP, @Upsigh.down, and a few others there to take your photo, and @__Universal_ + @Arvizzy there to get some video clips.

Given that we have a somewhat limited timeframe to get this done, I’ll be doing a casting call where I have anyone interested DM me for the chance to get some free gear, be styled by the team, and model the LiFE AFTER: Collection as well as some hand-made pieces. We’ll ideally get the chance to work with at least 5 of y’all who are interested!

If you still want to take some pics and vids in our gear but can’t make it in time to model, we’ll also be setting up an area that’ll serve as a photobooth of sorts. We’d love for y’all to enjoy yourselves there, send us the photos/vids, and also be featured in the lookbook!

5. Art, Community, & Nirvana Soul

I legit can go on and on (already kinda have haha) about the reasons you should be at LiFE AFTER: SPiFF, but I feel like the main reason I’d love to have you there is to get a chance to check out the art I’ll be showcasing while meeting the other members of the SPiFF community at the coffee shop I spent my whole summer at, aka Nirvana Soul.

From the moment I started planning this pop-up with my team, I immediately knew this coffee shop was the perfect location for it because it reminded me so much of the vibes that let me thrive in the early days of SPiFF when I had nowhere to work except the local spots that played rad music and served addicting coffee. 

Their San Jose location and all the individuals who are a part of their community are some of the most welcoming people I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with. Everytime I stepped into Nirvana Soul I was greeted with a kind hello and a wave of positive energy that set the tone for the 4-hour SPiFF work seshes I was about to dive into. As if that wasn’t enough, they served every Filipino with a caffeine addiction their favorite drink ever– Ube Lattes. S/O to the boy Eliud for putting me on. Lol

If anything, having LiFE AFTER: SPiFF at Nirvana Soul is my way of saying thank you to the space that gave both SPiFF and I the push we needed to make the most of my summer vacation and set the brand up for success for the rest of the year. Now that I’m back to teaching in SF, I won’t get to be here as much as I used to be, but my hope is that anyone who comes through on Sept. 3rd will fall in love with Nirvana and replace me as the new regular until my next break.