WHAT IS AWAKE NY?

Few brands capture the cultural energy of New York City quite like Awake NY. Founded by Angelo Baque, the label goes beyond clothing, drawing from the city's diverse communities, music, art and street culture to create an identity that feels deeply connected to its surroundings. Rather than simply following trends, Awake NY reflects the spirit of a city where different cultures and creative scenes constantly influence one another. 

The story of Awake NY began in 2012, when Baque launched the brand while working as Brand Director at Supreme, a position he had held for nearly a decade. Growing up in Queens, with Ecuadorian roots and a strong connection to New York's creative communities, he developed a perspective shaped by the city's different neighbourhoods and cultural influences. Awake NY became a way to express that vision independently, bringing together the experiences and references that had shaped him long before the brand existed.

At the heart of Awake NY is the idea that New York's identity cannot be reduced to a single style or subculture. Its collections draw from hip-hop, skateboarding, nightlife, sportswear and the city's long history of artistic expression. Graphic T-shirts, heavyweight hoodies, varsity jackets and bold colour combinations sit alongside more understated pieces, creating a balance between familiar streetwear staples and a distinctive visual language.

The brand's name also reflects its connection to the city. Awake NY is a reference to New York itself: a place that is constantly moving, evolving and reinventing its identity. That sense of energy runs throughout the collections, where nostalgia for earlier eras of street culture meets a contemporary approach to design. The result feels familiar without being purely retro, celebrating the past while remaining connected to the next generation.

Community has always played an important role in Baque's vision. Rather than treating fashion as something separate from the culture that inspires it, Awake NY uses clothing as a platform for creative collaboration and cultural exchange. Its partnerships with brands such as ASICS and Champion demonstrate this approach, bringing together different histories and perspectives while maintaining a clear connection to New York. Each collaboration offers another way to explore the city's influence on contemporary fashion.

More than a streetwear label, Awake NY represents a personal interpretation of New York's cultural landscape. Through its graphics, silhouettes and collaborations, the brand captures the diversity, individuality and creative energy that define the city. It is this combination of authenticity and cultural awareness that gives Awake NY its place within contemporary streetwear, making it a brand that tells a story beyond the clothes themselves.