Eyes twinkling at the sight of the stylists’ wardrobe and shoot pegs, “Oh, I like this feminine-ish, androgynous style. Oh, I like the purple, pink knitted t-shirt, too!” Nate expressed his undeniable love for fashion pieces and dressing up. Donned in a plain white shirt and black pants during our conversation, he explains how his black and white wardrobe does not really stop him from being stylish. Growing up in the US gave him a lot of ideas in foreign fashion, mentioning Rick Owens and Playboi Carti in the conversation who influenced his sense, from basic and comfortable to bold and colorful. “I think my fashion style depends on my mood,” in which he added, “now I wanna be a rockstar!” But with that, he admittedly told PARCINQ that he is still struggling with his Filipino but learns the language better because of his ‘kuya's.’ Although he understands what most people say in Filipino, he has a long way to get used to the language and use it like a pro.
Here’s what Nate has to say more about his fashion sense, his closet, his ever-changing style, and snippets of his life growing up in a foreign country, learning a relatively foreign language, while bringing out his charms as the ‘bunso’ of BGYO.
Can you tell us a little about your style?
Well, I don’t really know what my style is po. I think there’s too many things that I like. When I started getting into clothes I was like the every teenager boy. I like the brands that every teenage boy likes; like Supreme, Adidas, or whatever brands that were really live and people were getting crazy over. Whatever was the hype, I would buy it. But growing up, I started changing. Now, seeing other people [for instance] I like Rick Owens and I like going to Search and Destroy, it's a thrift store in NYC and there’s a lot of different pieces [at the store] that nobody else can get.
Do you have a fashion statement?
I have none. Well now, I am wearing what every teenager boy would wear. It just depends on how I feel or whatever music I listen on the night before po. So, I think my fashion style depends on my mood. When did your interest in fashion start?
My interest in fashion started I think in grade school, like fourth grade or fifth grade. It wasn’t really like a big deal, [my interest started] at shoes first. I like Jordans first, I think everybody has liked Jordans at one time. How has your style evolved? When I first started, it was like the hypebeast, the one that everybody knows. Then I turned into ‘essentials’ type of guy, super basic and minimal. After the minimal phase, I went to the really flashy and colorful and very crazy like: “Oh look at that guy! He looks crazy!” type of phase. Now, it’s my low-key phase like I dunno, regular and just really nice pieces but don’t really standout. Unless, you really know the designer. And then now, I wanna be a rockstar!
Who’s your fashion inspiration or icon?
I think my fashion inspiration over all is Playboi Carti. And then now, especially now, it's TXT because they perform and sing and dance in their new song and they're dressed like rockstars; and they’re wearing cropped tops — it’s like all messy, like all in one tone. It just looks so nice and they’re wearing Rick Owens also coz I love Rick’s shoes. My other inspiration is @scarfxce.xo on Instagram. He wears a lot of vintage clothings. The colors are not the usual, a lot of people say “Oh, I like pastel!”, it’s like pastel but different shades of pastel, I guess? (smiles)
Tell me about the colors you love to mix and match.
My closet is [full of] black and white clothes but a lot of people say like: “Oh, you look good in colors!” So I just wear colorful when I go outside. But if I could, I would wear black every day. I would wear all-black everything, everyday.
Do you have a favorite brand of sneakers? If yes, what is it?
I have and it’s Rick Owens. I own a pair of Rick Owens. What kind of closet have you got?
Oh! I have lots of clothes and my clothes broke my closet. So, I have a rack now. Some [clothes] are like what other people wear but some are like very new or trendy. I like buying monochromatic clothes and wearing pieces of clothes people not usually wear.
Are there any style you want to try and explore? I want to explore any style you give me because I don’t really know all of the styles. I dunno, I just like looking at Post Archive Faction and they have weird blow-up pants and it’s like cushion and there’s ties around it and it goes all the way down and you look like a Michelin man and yeah I’d like to try the flashy and cocky-ish style, too!
What were your challenges in learning the Filipino language?
One of the challenges I faced while learning the Filipino language is having a good accent and forming a proper sentence. Understanding is the easiest po because I lived with my Lola and Lolo who always spoke to me in Filipino, and my mom was born and raised in Chicago like me, but she knew Filipino too from her Lola and Lolo until she started school and she had to learn how to speak English. I always spoke only in English until I became a member of BGYO. So, now my mom and I practice with each other, and when she speaks Filipino she makes me speak too and I’m like “What? I’m not that good either!”. I’m not really good at it, I just feel comfortable [in speaking the language] because people are like “Oh, your Filipino is cute” and I’m like “No! It’s bad.”
How do you practice learning the Filipino language?
Before in training, there was a time when a lot of interviews are coming and the interviews are from other places so we have to switch our language. Like [for instance] the Kuyas, they all speak Filipino then they have to speak English. I [on the other hand] already speak in English so our coach said: “If you speak in your native language, you will pay a fine [as penalty].”Then we added up, Kuya Gelo and I owed like 5,000 pesos because we kept speaking [our language] by accident even just “po” is not allowed. Every day we spoke in our native language, we would owe a lot of money and it kept adding up, but in the end it was just a lesson.
Have you always wanted to be a musician?
Yes, I have always wanted to be a musician. I think ever since I was born; ever since I came out as a newborn baby, I already love music and would dance a lot. When I was growing up, my dad had a cool car with big speakers and he would play such different music, and his favorite artist is Britney Spears. So I was like, “What?” I’d just dance to it then dance to whatever he plays in the car.
What are some things that fans would be surprised to know about you?
I feel like they know everything (laughs). Maybe what they don’t know yet is that I cry before I go to school when I was a kid. I feel like I was so anti-social and I was so scared. I don’t like talking to people before because I feel nervous and awkward in public. Maybe people wouldn’t see that now? Maybe they see I’m loud or crazy? And another thing they don’t know yet is that I can eat lots and lots of fries, two burgers and ten-piece chicken nuggets. That’s what I’ll eat now coz I’m hungry. (laughs)
What would you like to say to your supporters? Hello ACEs, and soon-to-be ACEs and past ACEs— yeah, coz maybe they left? (laughs). I hope you all are doing well and I hope you enjoyed these new things I think you haven’t heard before coz I know I haven’t explained my love for fashion to you guys but I hope you also enjoyed [reading] this interview. I hope you guys are staying happy and not sleeping late. I hope you guys are getting your vaccines soon if you can, but if you’re against it that’s OK, too! Drink a lot of water, keep your skin clear and keep supporting [BGYO] because I promise that we will give you something in return that is very meaningful and I’ll put my heart in everything we do. THANK YOU, ACEs. LOVE YOU!
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Words by Anna Fregillana (@annafregillana)
Interviewed by Anna Fregillana & Joe Andy
Produced by Philip Vargas (@plipfilms)
Photography by Rxandy Capinpin (@rxandy)
Art Direction, Final Art & Video Editing by Joe Andy (@heyjoeandy)
Fashion Videography by Pogs Francisco (@snaps_ph)
Styling by #TeamRyujiShiomitsu (@teamryujishiomitsu)
Grooming by Jaime Sy (@jaime_sy)
Hair by Mycke Arcano (@mycke.arcano)
Special Thanks to Direk Lauren Dyogi, Mq Mallari, Jovy Aberion & Star Hunt.