“As long as there is a youth culture, there will be streetwear”

Even though some say that streetwear is at the end of its tether, it is still a thing for the young target group. This is also proven by the Frankfurt (Germany) based brand 6PM, which is part of the online retailer About You. Together they are organizing a pop-up tour for the second time, which this year will also take place in Austria in addition to Germany.

Last time, consumers flocked to the event to see the coveted items and meet founder Achraf Bouzalim. At the start of the new pop-up tour, FashionUnited spoke to the founder of the brand, who has more ‘fans’ on Instagram – with more than 250,000 followers – than the 6PM account (205,000 followers). He talks about guerilla marketing, why streetwear has become indispensable and what trends he sees in this style.

The pop-up tour will start on Saturday 6 May. Apart from the locations, what is different about this tour compared to the previous ones?

“The planning phase alone makes this tour vastly different. This year we started planning extra early to give our community some fun days.”

What can the community expect?

“In addition to the new colors of the ‘6PM+’ collection and a meeting with myself, we are also providing free food this year. We also launched a special tour T-shirt with our partner Pepsi, which is available exclusively at the pop-up stores. In addition, we have devised a promotional campaign together with Motorola, in which our community can gain a lot. All in all, the tour is a bit rounder and fuller this year.”

Where do the 6PM customers come from?

“In addition to the DACH region, we also have customers from Italy, the United Kingdom and a little bit from the United States. Occasionally people from the surrounding countries of the DACH region also come [naar het pop-up evenement, red.]. Last year, for example, we saw a few boys from Denmark in Hamburg at one of our pop-up stores.”

Do guerrilla actions that lure fans to locations, such as a scavenger hunt, also play a role for 6PM?

“Yes, that could well be. Maybe we already have something in store for the tour. In any case, we remain curious…”

Last year there were more than three thousand people at the locations. Do you expect such a number again?

“We expect the same crowds, but we are also prepared for a larger number of visitors than last year. For us it is not only ‘the clothes’, but also the enthusiasm about me as a person that creates the so-called ‘hype’. Actually, we don’t want to use the word ‘hype’ anymore. It suggests that the enthusiasm will pass and is short-lived.”

What about the “streetwear hype”?

“Meanwhile, streetwear has established itself as a serious segment within the fashion industry and as long as there is a youth culture, streetwear will exist. That has nothing to do with a ‘hype’, the rest of the industry has finally come around in recent years.”

What’s the next big trend in streetwear?

“You can’t really answer that. We do what we do and the response proves us right. I could imagine that brands no longer focus solely on clothing, but see their brand as a platform for all kinds of creative expressions and thus create a small universe.”

What can we expect in the next collection?

“Keep following us.”

Is there a particular item or gadget you’d like to launch?

“All Time Dream would be a sneaker, but I’m also thinking about furniture and dog accessories for my dog ​​Rio.”

There have been collaborations in the past, such as with the rapper Yung Hurn. Are there any new collaborations currently planned?

“Yes, we are working on a few projects. However, nothing is ready to announce yet.”

The ‘6PM+’ collection, which is never sold out, is only available through its own online shop and through About You. Do you plan to collaborate with other retailers?

“Not for now, no.”

This interview was conducted in writing.

This interview previously appeared on FashionUnited.DE. Translation and editing into Dutch by Sylvana Lijbaart.