Don’t Blame The Kids (DBTK) is Filipino streetwear brand that celebrates youth culture.

Brand Snapshot

Like most revolutions, this one also starts on the streets. The DBTK movement seems to be on a mission to stop the lazy blaming of “youth” for worldly woes, and the weapon they have chosen to deliver that message is clothing. Streetwear, after all, is a means to express the things you are passionate about in ways where boundaries are forgiven for bravery. DBTK began as a gamble on the founders’ passion for this cause, and that has sparked a sartorial uprising. They’ve now stitched their way to the forefront of Filipino fashion – encapsulating the nation’s youthful pride and unbound creativity. A DBTK T-shirt somehow manages to at once be both a garment as well as a representation of a local youth - one that is ready to take on the world street by street.

Whilst not being to everyone’s taste, the brand’s original concepts have been able to synthesise a new Filipino fashion sensibility, offering statement designs with bold graphic depictions that convey a polite disregard for grown-up formality and convention. It is unapologetic rather than confrontational – it says: “we are the young, and we aren’t sorry for that.” Youth is a power to be harnessed, not a problem to be fixed - and DBTK hopes to be extractive by bringing youth out in everyone who engages with the brand. In that sense, each piece of clothing an invitation as much as a celebration. This universally relevant message mixed a courageous local street aesthetic and artistry has forged a loyal following, and global brands like H&M are now seeking out more fresh collaborations with DBTK. More will follow.