Lessons From Virgil Abloh and Post-Algorithm Brands With Angelo Baque

Angelo Baque isn’t new to collaborating. Joining Supreme in 2006, Baque brought his visual background to the growing label, working his way up to brand director where he looked after everything from seasonal lookbooks to overall art direction. Throughout his tenure, which ran until late 2016, he worked with some of the biggest and most influential names in the industry, including Nike, The North Face and Stone Island; all creative partnerships that helped set the tone for style as we know it today.

And while for most a 10-year term at Streetwear’s North Star is the be-all and end-all dream, for Baque it’s just one chapter in his ongoing journey to bring his singular vision worldwide; a journey that’s become even more pronounced through his endeavours since. There’s Baque Creative, his agency that sees him consult on various Nike and Converse projects, among many others, and there’s Awake NY, a New York-based brand that captures the culture and sensibility of its hometown through collections, collaborations and storytelling.

Five years into Awake NY’s young life, Baque is hitting his stride. His designs are embraced by a diverse cast, from Futura and Jesse Williams to Lauren Halsey and Shaniqwa Jarvis. His collaborations, including a longstanding partnership with ASICS, come out of left field—and then proceed to sell out instantly. His voice, expressed through Awake NY’s distinct visual style, is an urgent one; one so sure of itself that it’s creating a lane entirely of its own making within New York’s legendary streetwear space.

As Baque prepares to release an instant-classic ASICS Kayano 14, close friend, style guru and creative consultant Tremaine Emory connects with the streetwear veteran to discuss New York narratives, insights from Virgil Abloh and putting others on.