FROM THE CLUB TO THE STREET

Master of all trades, MARCELO BURLON speaks with KIERAN HO on how he transformed his identity from DJ to streetwear mogul

FROM ONE OF the coolest club kids to the king of his own fashion empire, Milan-based designer Marcelo Burlon is a man of many talents – a quick internet search lists his occupation to be: DJ, fashion designer, stylist, public relations specialist. Before launching his label, Marcelo Burlon County of Milan, the polymath Patagonia native cut his teeth in the fashion industry, working as an event planner, and then later as a PR exec and DJ for high-fashion brands such as Givenchy, Chanel and Gucci and sportswear brands the likes of Adidas and Nike. With the support of the heavyweight international connections he made from the party scene, Burlon eventually found himself drawn into the limelight on social media. “People wanted to be a part of my life, my work and my aesthetics,” he says.

He dropped his first T-shirt with a design of a colourful parrot surrounding the neckline – and the rest is history. Since 2013, his label blew up and his pieces quickly became some of the most sought-after on the market. “I didn't think that after five years, we would be in the market and opening stores,” he says proudly yet humbly. With the opening of his second store in Hong Kong, he continues to spread his passion and craziness wherever he goes, never failing to keep things fresh (or as fans of streetwear hype would say, “phresh”) with his signature flyer-than-the-rest industrial graphics.