Courtesy of FELIP
Choosing pieces that bring comfort and amplify confidence is an art, but as a musician juggling multiple roles across various projects, this balancing act comes naturally for Felip.
Ice and fire—that is how Felip describes his personal style. When asked to explain, the musician says, “Sometimes, I feel like ‘Bro, my outfit is so fire.’ And then, the next day, I think, ‘Bro, my outfit is so cool.’”
Although said in jest, this contrast points towards the varying identities of the musician reflected in the way he dresses: as a member of Filipino pop boy group SB19, “Ken” wields a casual boyish coolness in light clothing, vivid colors cohesive with the rest of the band. The musician is more experimental, often leather and silver clad in darker colors throughout his solo project as FELIP and his personal social media.
In an exclusive interview with Vogue Philippines, the musician and CEO of streetwear brand SUPERIORSON discusses his wardrobe essentials for onstage and offstage style, his favorite articles of clothing, and how he thinks as a designer.
On his Off-Duty Uniform of Choice
In his moments away from the limelight, Felip’s off-duty uniform is almost always a hoodie. His collection of hoodies include pieces from brands such as Off-White, Vetements, and Balenciaga. Felip muses that the difference in dressing onstage and offstage is how he wants to be perceived. “Whenever I wear hoodies, I feel safe.” Felip says. “I feel like I can hide myself from the outside world.”
On dressing the Boy in the Band vs. The Rockstar
Felip’s astronomical rise to fame with SB19 was also instrumental in cultivating his sense of style outside of the group. As the group’s main dancer, Felip wears clothes that are light enough to be able to move freely when performing with SB19. Lightweight garments in striking colors that do not restrict movement complements are fit for a stage with an audience of thousands.
But when he performs as Felip, he explores a darker, more experimental sense of style, gravitating toward leather pieces. “When you’re with a group, you’re expected to dress at least similar,” he explains. “It’s not that I wanted to create a direct separation [with those identities,] but the way I dress as Felip is how I personally like to style myself.”
Although Felip admits to admiring certain personalities such as rapper Playboi Carti’s sense of style, he tries to maintain authenticity to his personality through his clothing. “I already know my size, so when I go to shops and I see something I like, I just go and get it, sometimes even without fitting it,” he says. “I don’t really try to copy or emulate anyone, because when I like the cut of a jacket, or shape of the pants, I just wear it.”
On his mindset as a designer
Early on in his career, Felip says that he’s gotten comments about the clothes he wears. “A lot of people were questioning how I dress,” he recalls. “They ask me why I wear the same clothes over and over again, which I didn’t understand, because clothes are meant to be worn.”
This philosophy carried over the creation of his streetwear brand, SUPERIOR SON. The label includes a rider jacket Felip designed himself, which he says is his favorite article of clothing to wear when performing on stage. “It was so cool to wear something that I made myself,” he says. “It made me so confident.” The SPS jacket sold out 10 minutes after its initial release.
When asked about the process of designing, the artist says his affinity for jackets that accentuate body proportions largely contributed to the final design of the jacket. “When thinking as a designer, you always have to think about the people [who will buy it,]” Felip says. “I took into consideration how it would look on a person’s body, and how it would complement their proportions.”
