19-year-old Filipina Designer is New York’s next big thing
Ericka Del Rosario, a 19-year-old Filipina based on San Francisco is upping the game in menswear with her new clothing label “Kakáslok.”
Born in one of the most indigent areas in Quezon City, Ericka has had her childhood as lively as the frenzied streets of Project 6. “I was born in the projects in the Philippines. The neighborhoods are divided by projects, and I lived in Project 6, which is one of the most corrupt, impoverished areas.” she recalls during an interview with The Fader.
Her collection takes in the sleek and clean mannish stir while embracing ultimate comfortable feel – like that particular clothing ensemble you’d choose to wear for a spontaneous adventure. It’s the same effect when you first heard the name of her label, “Kakáslok” – quite intriguing, something that will ignite curiosity. And the story behind it is worth a dive in.
The name “Kakáslok” was a childhood nickname given to her by the old lady babysitter they called “ima,” who used to watch all the kids in their village while their parents were at work. “She gave us all weird nicknames. Mine was “Kakáslok,” which is like “little shit” ’cause I guess I never listened and was always the rebel. I left the Philippines when I was 7, but that name always stuck with me.” said Ericka.
Image grabbed from erickadelrosario.tumblr.com
Ericka went to middle school and high school in the States. She got into photography after her stepdad gave her an old film camera. She was known in high school for her passion in photography. Unfortunately, her parents refused to support this endeavour of her; they wanted her to pursue a career in medical industry. Because of this, she had countless arguments with her parents to the point that it made her run away from home multiple times and experience emotional breakdowns. Ericka worked late night shifts at Wendys & H&M while a full-time high school student who was soon-to-be graduating. But as she was the naturally “Kakáslok” girl as she was, Ericka fight for her passion and what she really believed in – art.
Images grabbed from erickadelrosario.tumblr.com
Her passion in art and photography gave her chance to a scholarship to Parsons in New York. From there, she got an opportunity to intern at Alexander Wang’s New York offices, where she eventually dropped out of school to focus on her own brand.
“Kakáslok overall is basically something that says “screw you” to the system. You can do what you want, you can be what you want. Just because you came from an ugly background or don’t have the best grades doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your aspirations.” Said Ericka in an interview with philstar.com
To date, Ericka has already released 2 collections which were named after her hometown and childhood: “Project 6” for 2015 and “Boyhood” for this year.
Source: thefader.com, philstar.com
