Caps from the Philippines crosses borders

A Philippine ad agency has created a streetwear brand to test its digital marketing strategies – and now it has gone global.

What? Caps, developed by Eggshell Worldwide, led by Mark Wesley Pahate now ships to 220 countries worldwide, in partnership with FedEx, and after its early success, the company is now looking at adding streetwear staples such as hoodies, socks, and shoes, with the vision to grow into a full-blown lifestyle brand.

“Since I’m a fan of streetwear, we decided to go with fitted caps,” says Pahate.

“Internationally, it is a really big market, valued around US$300 billion and growing. Young people drawn to streetwear comprise a vibrant community and an evolving hub of creativity. You will be surprised by a lot of independent streetwear brands we have here in the Philippines, and how popular they are in the international market.”

Featuring street style, What? Cap has generated a buzz among youth who want to express themselves through fashion. Neighbouring streetwear hubs Taiwan and Singapore are the biggest target markets for the company.

“Our products appeal to the two markets we identified for What? Caps: Streetwear fans and cap collectors.” Pahate says. “We connect with customers through social media. From there, we lead them to our website where they can shop.”

For any brand, it is a badge of success to cross borders. After steadily gaining traction in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Pahate says they are now beginning to penetrate the US. This increase in demand and destinations, he says, was made possible by their logistics provider, FedEx which has integrated its delivery system into What? Caps’ website, even though it is still a fledgling business.