Streetwear Sarong & More: ‘Kedai Runcit’ Vibes Meet SEA Rave Culture

By Danial Martinus • 14 Jul 2025 in Hanger

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

(source: Tropical Futures Institute & Eastern Margins)

If you grew up in Malaysia, you’ll be more than familiar with the sweltering heat that our Southeast Asian climate brings us. It can be awful at times, but we’re used to it.

Taking inspiration from that, Philippines-based label Tropical Futures Institute (TFI) and London outfit Eastern Margins have linked up for a new drop that feels like a cultural reset.

Built for the heat, styled for the margins

The capsule includes a healthy variety of pieces that weren’t just built for our climate, but look good in it, too. It includes a pink baby tee, graphic t-shirt, bike jersey, trucker cap, and even a sarong.

Yes, an actual sarong:

It isn’t just some modern interpretation watered down to suit Western tastes. But it also doesn’t feature your typical sarong patterns, which makes it a real statement piece if you’re brave enough.

The sarong featured in this capsule has been reworked with a “tropical drainer” design by Filipina fashion designer Bea Cruz. It’s part rave art, part ancestral pride. And it’s definitely going to turn heads wherever you go.

Another gem in the capsule is the bike jersey, featuring airbrushed retro florals in the back, with bold block letters up front. It’s giving old-school cycling gear reimagined for a club night in Manila or a humid street corner in Penang.

It’s got a lot of underground energy, tapping into the visual language of DIY zines, the kedai runcit aesthetic, and Southeast Asian rave culture.

In terms of tops, you have the S*xbomb baby tee and Tropical Margins logo tee, each with their own personalities that’ll feel right at home in the club (or quite literally at home).

Rounding out the capsule is an embroidered trucker cap, featuring text that reads, “God’s Favourite” because we all go through main character syndrome at some point(s) in our lives:

If you’re not familiar with TFI, it’s the brainchild of Chris Fussner, who launched it in 2017 to explore what contemporary culture in the tropics actually looks like.

Not just the glossy, tourist-friendly version, but the gritty, chaotic, and colourful kind that locals live in everyday. While the brand has roots in the Philippines, it casts a wider net across Southeast Asia.

This collab with Eastern Margins takes a more personal approach. It’s a deep dive into shared identity, nostalgia, and fashion storytelling through a Southeast Asian lens.

Eastern Margins, for their part, has long been a home for Alternative Asian culture in London, focusing on the musical, stylistic, and geographic nuances of Asia. Linking up with TFI makes a lot of sense.