Empire in the Air

The blog is coming back to life! We lightweight stepped away from the digital sphere when opening our pop-up shop— it was a lot of work y’all! Now, since we said BRB to having a store, we’re making our way back to giving you content.

And what a way to kick-off our blogging than with womxn empowerment?

On Sunday, February 17, I attended a #feministAF dinner by Haejin Chun.

Um. Our dinner came with a bouquet for every single guest! Brb crying with gratitude

peep the Tagged Textile Tee

Haejin Chun — the culinary artist behind Big Bad Wolf SF— hosted her first-ever womxn-only event titled Big Bad Queens. Upon announcing Big Bad Queens, Haejin referred to it as the “most significant, meaningful, and empowering gathering thus far, or imma die trying.”

Let me tell you…

Homegirl succeeded that and beyond.

Leading up to the night, Haejin set the tone with her IG posts of how her celebration of being Big Bad Queens would be. You knew her and her team poured their hearts in preparing for this gathering.

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Did I make these Pom Poms and mini tassels ? 🙇🏻‍♀️yes. Was it meditative and fun? 🙃 no. Am I a crazy person who has a million things to do before a big dinner with Pom Pom fuzz all over me? Definitely. At least no one can say I don’t care or try hard enough 🤷🏻‍♀️. Vessels for our 1st course: “Ceremonial (medicinal) Tincture.” CBD, manuka honey, aloe vera, tumeric, jujubes, ginger, pineapple, cinnamon. We will start the dinner by pouring each other’s glasses. #communal. The jars are empty for now, bc the ingredients are too expensive just for photos. My goal has been the same since day one: people coming together from all walks of life, vibing. That everyone who sits at my table will be present, filled with joy, and feel like they’re part of something bigger. But most of all I hope they feel special -that I will hold space for them and that I fucking care deeply. Because I do. I’ve never felt more love, more aligned, or more empowered going into a dinner. 💫 #BadAssBossBabes got me feeling a type of way. 🙏🏼 Thank you. Giving it every, single, last drop of who I am and what I can give in one moment. See you Sunday. #foodismedicine #loveisinthedetails #tribevibes #weareallvessels

A post shared by BIG BAD WOLF (@bigbadwolfsf) on Feb 12, 2019 at 5:47pm PST

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“BIG BAD QUEEN” (sold out). 👏🏻EMPOWERED. 👏🏻BLESSED. 👏🏻FEELING IT. . . Another 💃🏻👑 just gave me the greatest compliment I’ve received thus far in life: “You empower other women.” 🔥🙏🏼 And while I’m humbled that might be true, right now I’m feeling pretty empowered by all who are coming. Every one who is gathering for this event is undeniably a FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. We’re about to give them heaven and hell. #LaurynHill. All bad ass women playlist for our 7-course womxn’s dinner. When’s the last time you were in a room filled with other BIG BAD WOMXN?! Those accumulative vibes, that intentional gathering, unapologetically powerful… This one’s gonna be beyond 💫.#feministaf #sisterhood. Be about it. . . #feministaf #bombesquad #girlswithknives #sfwomen #ladiestothefront #girlgang #femalechef

A post shared by BIG BAD WOLF (@bigbadwolfsf) on Feb 1, 2019 at 6:49pm PST

I admitted to Haejin prior to the night that the particular reason why I wanted to join was because of a need for inspiring vibes. Her response:

[That’s] exactly why I wanted to do this dinner. Women empowering and inspiring other women.

Because the lead-up alone nourishingly hyped the Queens up, entering the venue felt magical. Womxn  gathered glammed-up in their own unique styles; rose was poured alongside the night’s  roses; and, as we mingled with each other in the nicely dimmed San Franciscan loft, the first two courses were passed out to give us a teaser of the glorious flavors composed by the Big Bad Wolf.

The two appetizers included a warm and crisp pan-fried savory mochi (mm) and a pine nut purée that felt like a hug from the inside of your belly (not pictured because I ate it right away… same with the second one I ate.) What I also wish I took a photo of was Haejin passing out vapes on a silver platter. I don’t indulge in smoking but, c’mon, look how cute this is ( + bonus points for the organic, local, sustainable  shout-out):

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First course: @permanentxholiday. . . Regardless of what happens, who knocks on our door, free swag or not… I have and never will work with products or brands that I’m not feeling. Period. I know it’s a privilege to be so selective; I know I’ve been spoiled AF. But it’s not just business, it’s personal. And I’m not about to put anything subpar in my body or my guest’s. I use organic, local, sustainable ingredients whenever possible. It’s the same for flower. 100% cannabis derived oils and terps (flavoring), a high content of live resin, and non of that toxic filler. Happy to welcome these new friends at our table. That #tangie is YUMMY. 👌🏼✨#cannabiscommunity . . Artwork by Hawaiian artist: @aaronkkai

A post shared by BIG BAD WOLF (@bigbadwolfsf) on Feb 17, 2019 at 12:38pm PST

Greeting us to our assigned seats was a simple & elegant table setting with our take-home gifts, including  osmanthus honey brittle and two sorts of wrapped up flowers, one with our names handwritten.

Once everyone made their way to their seats, Haejin welcomed us with an opening speech about how this dinner is the most meaningful one she put together to-date.  She referred to the guest list as powerful and, you know, Big Bad Queens.

She then redirected the floor to Kayko Tamaki  for a ceremonial soundbath. Kayko guided us into meditative thoughts of how extraordinary womxnhood is and to honor our connection to ourselves, our bodies, and the earth herself.

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This is Kayko. #Womxn to Womxn, she has given me strength, shared her wisdom, made me feel my own feminine power… I’ve admired her and have been inspired by her on a soulful level for many years now. She’s a healer, activist, #feminist (is an understatement), hypnotherapist, spiritual guide, a well-known figure in the #LGBTQcommunity, POWERFUL and so much more. I’m so honored and humbled to announce that she will be leading us through a pre-dinner ceremony and sound bath … to initiate, welcome, heal, and further unite us during our women’s gathering (however you identify on the spectrum, all are welcome.) I have the chills just thinking about it. @kaykotamaki thank you for being you so unapologetically, so poetically, so beautifully accepting of yourself and others. You are the sister in #sisterhood. 2.17.18. Can’t wait. More about Kayko in my stories. #BadAssBabe

A post shared by BIG BAD WOLF (@bigbadwolfsf) on Jan 22, 2019 at 7:12pm PST

Then came the feast. And, while indulging, Haejin had one rule. She wanted us to further connect with each other by engaging in one small yet meaningful task: pour each other’s glasses. For the first round, we raised up our ceremonial tincture to drink together.

The night wasn’t only about gathering Big Bad Queens together, it was about filling us with goodness. In Haejin’s welcoming speech, she shared how she did research on foods that are healthy for women’s reproductive systems. Our tastebuds, tummies, and vaginas thank you.

The main courses included: a banchan flight, chicken dumpling, bo ssam, and spicy mussels with soba noodles. From the presentation to the taste and portions, wow. I really don’t know the right words. How about this; every dish made each guest close their eyes and mutter words along the lines of omg… so good…

Last — and definitely not the least — were “double chocolate brownies with toasted hazelnuts, raspberries and dusted with a pink Himalayan matcha salt.” Holy Sh*t. I forreal slumped my head back upon taking the first bite and whispered to my chocolate, “ I didn’t know how much I needed you in my life.” Next thing you know, Haejin catches me and says, “Look at you eating that chocolate like a queen.”  I was too betwixt reveling in the chocolate to ask if there were any more.

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Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset

Thanks to @katrosereyes, you can relive the dinner with more visuals here:

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“Behind every great woman there’s a shit ton of other dope ass women.” -It’s so fucking true. Beautiful recap of the dinner through the heartfelt perspective of @katrosereyes. I didn’t hire Kathleen. She casually asked me through DM before the dinner if it would be ok if she took some videos at the event, or if that would be disruptive. I had no idea it was gonna be this. 🙏🏼🔥💕. Sunday was the first day we met and she did this completely on her own. I’m just so overwhelmed with everyone’s love, vibes, and womxn to womxn affirmations… empowerment. Strangers becoming friends at our table: our creative energy inspiring/fueling each others… believing in each other’s dreams and valuing each other’s existence. This is why I do what I do, and why it’s so damn important to me. Full throttle FEELZ. I honestly don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m so thankful for you and for this.

A post shared by BIG BAD WOLF (@bigbadwolfsf) on Feb 20, 2019 at 9:34am PST

Thank you to Big Bad Wolf for an extraordinary evening. Days after the dinner, the inspiration from that night’s sisterhood is still keepin’ me feeling revived.

Coming up next on our website: a blog blitz of our time at Moment SJ. Stay tuned and welcome back.

Now in it’s second year, Pow!Wow!Worldwide! was taking over the blank canvas walls of San Jose. Unlike Chichai and Chris, I wasn’t able to fly out to Hawaii and attend festivities out there, so I was stoked to try and get involved in what is only just developing in San Jose.

From Pow! Wow! San Jose! inaugural commencement 2017

One of my bucket list items for the Empire Pop –Up was to host a run, and make it a local hub for a San Jose Run Club. All levels welcome. Upon planning this event, I noticed JT Service  was just beginning a local run series, @Run_Local, and I thought it’d be so fun to collaborate with him. Why not take my chances to reach out and make our first run inline with PWSJ?

JT Service is the Founder of Soul Focus Sports and the Represent Running Series. You might be familiar with his Run The Bay series which includes San Jose 408k “Race to the Row” – The Across the Bay 12k & 415k – The East Bay 510k – The Silicon Valley Half, 10k, & Food Truck 5k. You know, no big deal.

To our luck, JT agreed and together we hosted Miles of Murals II  in which we invited the community to come run with us in downtown San Jose to check out live mural work.

Runners started trickling into the shop. We briefed everyone about the route, and although both JT and I didn’t precisely know where these murals were, we knew this would turn into a scavenger hunt that the group of runners were totally down with.

  LIVE PAINTING PEOPLE…IT’S GOING DOWN.

First stop, Apexer @Apexer

Circle A Skate shop, a Pow!Wow!San Jose! Passport location was covered in colorful geometric vinyl by t.w.five @twfive.

Around the corner was a colossal piece by tackled by How & Nosm @hownosm

We made our way down market street and discovered multiple artists taking over the E. Virginia District of San Jose.

Sean Boyles @seanboyles38th/ Roan Victor @roanvictor

Then into the dark alley we saw a lively piece by Ivan Gonzales @itg3000

Woes @woes/ Dragon76 @dragon76art

And last live mural visit of the night by Seoul artist SIXCOIN @sixcoin_kr

Going on this run really made me think about what I missed about running. The community it brings together.

You won’t see the last of this group! More to come.

Sam@Empire

Photos by Brandon Raines @brandonrainesvisuals

I frequently travel to the Philippines to support my mom’s non-profit organization Project PEARLS. Over the years, those trips have turned the Philippines into another home for me. I can say I’m close to my family in the motherland and have friends there although we’re thousands of miles apart majority of the year.  This is why it was so important for Chris@Empire and I to visit before our wedding. (Oh. If you don’t follow us personally, Chris@Empire and I are getting married lol.)

With our wedding coming up in the fall, Chris@Empire and I spent a week together in Manila and a concluding weekend in Tagaytay. My mom arranged a “pre-wedding party” for my family and friends but… before we get into that, we visited the “Palace in the Sky” with our friends Monica and Karen.

Tagaytay is a city perched on top of a mountain ridge that surrounds a lake that surrounds volcanos. You can read about Taal Volcano here And because we’re up in the mountains, cooler temperatures and a view like this is common when visiting Tagaytay.

The low-laying clouds had made the day eerie and this already unfamiliar land more of a mystery. But, visiting Palace in the Sky during this weather made for fun photos.

Photo by Chris@Empire

Palace in the Sky is a palace… that was never finished. This palace was meant for Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos in the 1980’s. As the Chicago Tribune put it,  the unfinished “palace in the sky“ that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos erected on a windswept mountaintop here remains one of the best monuments yet to a lifestyle built on greed, excess and arrogance. The Marcos’ intended for it to be a vacation home in which US President Reagan could stay at. And– even after spending millions of dollars — they cancelled it’s completion when Reagan cancelled his stay.

30 years later, Palace in the Sky has become a tourist destination for its views of Tagaytay. You can see that we didn’t get much of landscape photos but we enjoyed playing with the gray softness.

I mean. How epic are these road photos?

Which reminds me… I did not know until this trip that Tagaytay had strawberry taho. Taho is commonly sold by vendors but I’ve only seen strawberry taho in Baguio since its cold enough there to grow strawberries. You best believe I bought one without hesitation!

I was so happy, that I asked for a solo photoshoot with my strawberry taho.

Photo by Chris@Empire

Now for the wedding pre-party party! We booked an AirBnB big enough for dozens of friends and family to party and sleep over. Look how gorgeous the design is!

My mom’s side of the family is non-traditional Filipino in the sense that we have no nurses or anyone in the medical or engineering field. Instead, my family is full of caterers that not only prioritize making (or ordering lol) yummy food but making sure the presentation matches. I mean, look at my breakfast made by my mom’s brother and plated by my mom!

My uncle led our friends in prepping the food for all of our guests. I wish I had photos of the finished masterpieces but trust me when I said the food didn’t last long.

Also, my mom surprised us with the cutest freakin cupcakes ever. Chris and I have several plants — mostly succulents — at our place so it was only fitting that our cupcakes matched our personal decor.

And, of course, this wedding shower included games

and family time

Thank you to everyone that gave Chris and I such a great preview of our special day!

Did you know that the Empire Team all met while attending San Jose State University? It’s only fitting that our first ever store would be in San Jose. It’s a Homecoming!

Empire in the Air is opening up its first long-term pop-up shop! Starting on September 7, we are joining Moment SJ at San Pedro Square. Join us in celebrating our GRAND OPENING on September 7 to September 9. Come by any day (or all days!) for music, raffles, and more!

About Moment: Moment is a set of four dynamic micro-retail spaces designed and programmed to advance + grow + celebrate creative retail. Powered by San Jose Made (SJMADE), MOMENT embodies the speed, immediacy and verve of today’s new retail and creative culture, featuring makers, creatives, artists and emerging brands for varying short-to-mid-length durations.

If you’ve been following the Empire Team, you’d know that the next step we all have been wanting to take is having our own shop. While prepping for Mile5tone — completely a coincidence!– each person on the Empire Team shared that we wanted a store and why. Here’s what they said:

Biggest one for not me but as a TEAM is our home base. A shop where all our empires combine. A space that consists of arts, clothes, gym, and a champorado cafe. LOL 🙂 – Aiko@Empire (the champorado cafe is still in the works haha)

Honestly, us as team definitely can come to an agreement that we all want to see Empire having it’s own space. Empire is sooo much more than just a clothing brand, and to be able to have it’s own space where both team members and supporters can come together and share our own stories would exactly be what “Empire in the Air” strives to push for. Being able to reach past the clouds, achieving your dreams, and inspiring others! So I definitely wish to see Empire in the Air having it’s own space, for sure! – Ray@Empire

[I want us to have] our homebase store front so we have a constant place to have our products readily available for you all as well as having an open place we can share with our community for creatives. – Jelyn@Empire

In the next five years, I really hope to see Empire in its own space! I think this is everyone on the team’s goal for the brand. We host so many events in the year as it is, that to have a place of our own to host them in would be a dream. Empire on its own embodies the true power of an idea. – Mia (our former marketing guru)

Obviously, we want our own shop somewhere in the Bay Area to call our own. But I want the brand to be able to host all these workshops we host, open mics, art classes, panels, and I want people to recognize our name! Also, it might not hurt to be a meeting place for future Run Clubs too 😉 – Sam@Empire

I really really want us to have our own space. We pride ourselves in being all about supporting others in building their Empires. Imagine if we had a shop to host our own events in which your art was shared? Plus, we super value opportunities to sell our product // tell our story in person. Having our own shop would give us that opportunity. – ChiChai@Empire

My mom arrived in Manila from Dubai on a Saturday morning then hopped on a bus that same evening to go to Camarines Norte (read about our UAE trip here.) Camarines Norte is a province in Bicol that’s almost completely surrounded by water and covered with farmland. And, because it rains about 200 out of the 365 days a year, Camarines Norte defines lushness.

Why Camarines Norte? Project PEARLS had a special field trip steer-headed by Cassie and her Bag of Dreams! This superhuman of a teenager fundraises to provide and deliver school supplies to children in remote coastal areas in the Philippines (read more about Cassie here.) In partnership with Aklatan sa Kostal– who hosted us as well!– we were able to bring backpacks filled with school supplies to nearly 500 children!

Photo by Mailou, Cassie’s mom!

We kicked off the distribution event with fun and games for the kids

On top of games, we had some K-Pop grooves going on led by Cassie herself

Taken withi Fuji instax90

We even had a special guest: Jollibee!

Before and after the distribution, Aklatan sa Kostal treated us to delicious local foods including these coconuts freshly cut straight from the tree. How delicious farm-to-table food is comparable to anything else. Mmm. Thank you Aklatan sa Kostal!

Aklatan sa Kostal spoiled us with its scenery as well.

A wide variety of flowers thrived in the neighborhood. They’re so gorgeous, I had to play with some by taking a few double exposures with my instax90. Can you spot Monica, my momma, and Karen?

We concluded Cassie’s Bags of Dreams with the coast of Camarines Norte. The waves washed up on shore far and wide, making the sand reflective of the sky’s colorful sunset.

The Project PEARLS team and I, of course had fun with the reflections by having a lil’ photoshoot

Congratulations to our fearless leader for a successful Project PEARLS day!

The universe brought my mom and I to Dubai in 2013. A company chose Project PEARLS as its benefactor for a gala and sponsored us to join. You can read about our visit to the Gold Market, Dubai Museum, Old Dubai, and Dubai Mall here. Since then, revisiting Dubai or the UAE itself has barely really crossed our minds. That trip was fast-paced and too glammed up for our taste (read about the gala here.) But, five years later, the universe decided we needed to go back.

We travelled to the UAE for the first week of August. This time around, we grew a deeper appreciation for the country and were surrounded by loving company. The two cities we visited were Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and execute it.”

– HH Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

Dubai

The Company

Why Dubai?

Ezra Santos – a couture designer and a Project PEARLS supporter based in Dubai – generously offered me one of the greatest wedding gifts that I’ll receive. (By the way, if you don’t follow the Empire Team personally, Chris@Empire and I are getting married this year lol.)

I won’t get into too much details about what that gift is or how beautiful it is or how much I feel glowed up like a princess who’s dreams are coming true. Instead, let’s take time to appreciate Ezra’s fashion studio and gallery!

Ezra not only welcomed us in his art space but he gave us that warm mabuhay-hospitality by treating us to a local eatery.

My favorite of the food was the dessert: kanafeh, an Arab dessert made of dough, cheese, and nuts meant to be drizzled with syrup. Mm!

He also showed us around La Mer — a beachfront that turned into an outdoor mall, theme park, public art space, and foodie spot.

Some of my favorite murals were the following:

Another person that made our trip worthwhile was my cousin Pamela. This favorite cousin and airman of mine is currently stationed in Abu Dhabi. Lucky for us, her day off just so happen to coincide with our travel days!

The Places

My mom and I realized that we saw maybe only 10% of the Dubai Mall in our initial visit. This time, we ended up spending hours in it… unintentionally. This mall just has so much going on! Here are some of my favorite views within the mall itself:

My favorite spot in the second-largest-mall-in-the-whole-freakin-world is the Kinokuniya bookstore.

We meant to only pass by it but ended up spending nearly two hours within the bookstore alone. They had numerous bookshelves for different segments of art (as supposed to one or two shelves like at Barnes & Noble.) Their amount of international literature was incomparable to bookstores I’ve gone too before — for adults and children!

Plus… it was toy galore as well.

My pick-ups included these must-reads from the political and social science section and… these wedding cake-toppers for Chris@Empire and I

The grandness of Dubai is shown in its metro stations as well. Here’s one near the hotel we stayed at:

Considering Dubai’s climate, plenty of air-conditioned walkways connect buildings to buildings. And, of course, even the views from those walkways were incredible.

Abu Dhabi

My mom and I decided to dedicate a day to tour Abu Dhabi. We wanted to tour somewhere new since we saw Dubai’s major sites during our first trip. Within this one day, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Emirates Palace, and the Louvre (yes! there’s a Louvre in Abu Dhabi!)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The founder of the United Arab of Emirates — late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — envisioned this mosque to become a unifying foundation for Islam’s cultural diversity with history and the modern world. (source)

When visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it’s easy to get mesmerized by the symmetry and the harmony of light and colors. I learned that the Mosque’s design plays a key role in representing its Islamic faith; Islam’s art is geometric, symmetric, and patterned in order to represent order and balance and to welcome those inside for contemplation.

To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul, is a mark of Islam.”

“To treat every person, no matter what his creed or race, as a special soul is a mark of Islam.”

– Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Emirates Palace

We thought, “Cool! Our tour guide is taking us to a palace!” Um. It turns out that the Emirates Palace is a hotel.

I’m pretty sure our tour guide here took us just so we can get photos in front of it. But that’s about all we got from it. Most of it was blocked off unless you were a guest (which costs about $300/night!?) Yup… Well, I suppose the tour guide was right. We got a few photos out of it.

The Louvre

See Humanity in a new light.

– The slogan of The Louvre – Abu Dhabi

Established in 2007, France and the UAE “came together to develop a new kind of cultural institution” that focuses on “universal human values.” (source) This institution became the Louvre.

Upon entering the museum, you are greeted by this quote by poet and scholar Jalal Al-Din Rumi

Everything in the universe is within in you

Many know the original Louvre as the world’s largest art museum. It’s beautiful, grand, and full of treasures from all over the globe. However, the history behind the French Louvre’s origins isn’t as beautiful. It began as somewhat a treasure room for royalty then became a prejudice art collector who “considered cultural traditions outside Europe to be of lesser quality, value, and importance.” (source) The introduction of art outside of Europe and Egypt into the Louvre actually didn’t happen until the year 2000!

The Abu Dhabi Louvre addresses the original Louvre’s fault of segmenting Europe and “the Other.” Rather than organizing the museum by region or Western art periods, the Abu Dhabi Louvre celebrates similarities among the world’s people by creating sections of “shared themes and ideas that reveal common connections throughout humanity.” (source)

The artwork and relics were often paired or grouped in threes to show the similarities between different groups of people. For instance, this statue of “Orator” from Rome and Bodhisattva from Gandhara were both sculpted in 1st Century CE with the intent of a more natural look as supposed to stylistic and show the Greek influences that came to both areas in that time. Even the poses of the two are similar.

One of the themes I found most powerful was “Universal Religions.” As emphasized in the museum, what makes religions universal are the humans’ need and spiritual urge to create them and follow them.

In this photo alone, products of faith peacefully coexist with one another although belonging to different religions.

The most picturesque part of the Louvre’s architecture is the “Rain of Light,” a domed courtyard in which several light beams softly shine through.

‎ستأسر كلاً من أشعة الشمس وضوء القمر زوار متحف #اللوفر_أبوظبي مع شروق الشمس وغروبها. إذ سيسري شعاع النور في أرجاء قبة المتحف المصمّمة بعناية فائقة، مما سيسمح بتسرب الضوء إلى داخل المتحف مع توفير الظل للفن ومحبيه عندما يفتتح المتحف أبوابه بعد أربعين يوماً ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With the rising and the setting of the sun, #LouvreAbuDhabi's visitors will be delicately drenched in sunlight and starlight. The #RainofLight will shine through the museum's dome, bathing the museum in patterns made by the sun. We open our doors to the world in 40 days! #WorldArchitectureDay. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ‎©اللوفر أبوظبي – تصوير محمد سومجي ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ © Louvre Abu Dhabi – Photography by Mohamed Somji

A post shared by Louvre Abu Dhabi (@louvreabudhabi) on Oct 2, 2017 at 7:44am PDT

As you can see from the photo above… my lens got fogged up lol. Even my camera couldn’t handle the Louvre’s beauty. Luckily my mom was able to take photos with her phone:

Regardless of the photo quality/format, the brilliance of the “Rain of Light” is undeniable. If you are ever visiting the UAE, soaking in the sun-rays at the Louvre is already worth the trip.

The travel blogging for this summer has just begun! Coming soon: Manila, Tagaytay, and Camarines Norte of the Philippines. To stay up to date on my travels (and behind-the-scenes of Empire!) visit my Instagram here.

When one thinks of streetwear and the people behind it, this kind of mood usually comes to mind.

But, with the Empire in the Air team, we’re more-so like this.

The Empire Team gathered on July 4th to picnic and photograph our newest product: the Mile5tone Jersey

To commemorate our fifth anniversary, the Mile5tone Jersey honors the milestones that got us here. We gathered elements from designs over the years and put them on this vintage-styled jersey because YOU, our supporters, are part of our team and our Mile5tones. With you, we’re able to build this Empire in the Air.

Mile5tone Jersey – Now Available Here

As for the story behind the lookbook…

We want to show you the faces behind Empire in the Air — quirkiness and all.

Thank you for supporting us weirdos and believing in us. Let’s keep building our Empires together.

Mile5tone Jersey – Now Available Here

  What led to mile5tone

For those who’ve followed us since these tops came out…

or since this video came out…

our anniversary starting point may be confusing.

I started Empire in the Air my first year of college (February 2010.) I released a few pieces here and there but didn’t have real consistency due to school and other extracurricular activities.

The team and I consider 2013 as our real launch date because that’s when we had our first event, our first collection, and that’s even when our team first ever formed. (Can you believe I tried to do this sh*t myself? Foolish 18 year old.)

@smankeyy @chrissnguyen @[email protected] @jahlean and I have been doing our best to go all-out with Empire in the Air since 2013. Hence, this is our Mile5tone year.

Empire Team: Ray, Chris, ChiChai, Sam, Mia, Aiko, Jelyn

our set-up

What made Mile5tone extra special from our other events was a whole lot of new-new.

Sam & Chris designed an entirely brand new pop-up shop set-up and Chris spent the past several weekends building it. We didn’t get a chance to take a final photograph of the set-up but, thanks to IG-story extraordinaire Aiko, you can get a peek of it here:

We have new pallet walls that served as a photo display one one side and a chalk wall on the other. Like at FAME, we use our chalk wall to invite our supporters to share what their empires are. Some dive deep in writing out their passions, while others…

Spongebob-inspired chalk art by our friends PJ and Chelsea

We spent a month or so looking for brand new clothing racks that would complement our garments. Out of frustration inspiration, Chris decided to build one himself! Check out this BTS photo of it:

On top of having a brand new set-up, we came out with exclusive products made just for the first 25 guests of Mile5tone. Chris & Jelyn spent the night before screen-printing the goodie bags with the design from our 5 Year Anniversary Jersey (what?!)

To be completely honest with you, I was really nervous in announcing the “first 25 guests!” thing. I may or may not have had a nightmare that only ten people showed up to Mile5tone a few weeks prior. Little did I know that we’d have a line way before doors opened (extra shout-out to our loving supporters that got there before we even began setting up! WE LOVE YOU!)

The giveaways included: an Empire in the Air tote, our logo pin made by AumakuaTreasures, brand new stickers, and other goodies from Post Signature, Open Daily, and Bayani Art.

We had hella more giveaways throughout the day. This time, in raffle form. Guests received a raffle ticket if they arrived wearing Empire in the Air and for every $10 spent at any vendor. Raffles included goodies from Post Signature, Haus of Godspeed, Open Daily, littleHONEYvee, Cas5andra, and us!

Since we have our own screen-printing kit, why not bring it to the event? Chris and Mia held down the screen-printing station in case anyone wanted any of our characters or logos on their clothes or prints!

Shout-out to this guy who took the shirt off his back to get our 2011 rocketeer design

We also brought back our coloring table!

By @bernasaur

By @iamsmalls featuring @leanlikeajolo

Most adorable colorer award goes to:

Friends of empire in the air

Throughout our years of participating in vending opportunities and event-coordination, we’ve met so many great artists along the way. We invited these artists as a thank you for always vibin out and supporting us:

littleHONEYvee

Cas5andra

Andie Bakes x Candido Kitchen

Oatis Ice Cream

Bayani Art

Post Signature

Open Daily

Haus of Godspeed

Although not a vendor, we have to highlight the guy that kept the energy up for everyone the whole day: Dean Orbase aka DJ Bazé

As a music provider, your mission is to decorate time. I feel EITA has the same intentions but with stories and cloth. Being able to express the beauty in things is a true blessing and I’m glad to be sharing this experience at the Mile5tone! – DJ Bazé

The Celebration

What we’re most grateful for with Mile5tone was that it felt like we were simply hanging out with friends, including our personal friends and friends we’ve made through Empire.

The big question now is what’s next?

Mile5tone Vendors: Open Daily

To celebrate our 5 years in the game, we are throwing an anniversary party and we want you to be a part of it! For the past 5 years, Empire in the Air has taken part of the Bay Area community through its clothing and events. We strongly believe that we’ve made it thus far because of the love from our supporters.

Mile5tone will include art, fashion, AND food vendors! We’re going to be highlighting…

Leading up to June 3, we will be highlighting our vendors and different members of the Empire in the Air team. Next up we have Raymond@empire

What do you do for Empire in the Air?

Hey, what’s up, and hello everyone! For those who do not know me, my name is Raymond but everyone on the team calls me Ray.

Currently I am the Visual Producer for the team. As the visual producer for the team, I am in charge of creating visual content for our marketing team. That means I am the in-house photographer for any events we create or get invited to. I am also the one creating most of the video content that we release. From recap videos to our seasonal video lookbooks for all our new collections. I try my best to create quality content for us, and some say my videos are “10/10.”

Here is one of my favorite video lookbooks that I’ve created!

I also just recently became in charged of the #MyEmpireInTheAir blog series, where I try to scout and interview talented individuals who continuously follow their own “Empire.”

What is your favorite moment working with Empire in the Air?

My favorite moments working with Empire in the Air honestly has to be just being in the same vicinity with everyone on the team and the friends who continuously support the brand! Since a lot of us are located all around the Bay Area, it is honestly always fun seeing everyone again when we come together during meetings and events!

I also can’t forget about our trip to the Philippines for Art of US! That was just a journey of great vibes, great memories, and great opportunities! If you haven’t already, you should definitely watch my first ever documentary that I shot and produced for the trip!

What is your favorite Empire piece?

THERE’S SOOOOOO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM!!!!!!!!

But honestly one of my favorite Empire piece has to be our multi-colored tag-logo crew neck. It was released back in the spring of 2014 during our “Urban Young Professional” collection. Every time I wear this piece, hella people ask me if it is a new collection or if we have any more on stock. It is definitely a throwback.

Catch our friends Gabe Dayrit and Jolo Cabrera rocking the crewneck in this throwback video!

Why are you excited for Mile5tone?

I’m excited for Mile5tone because of the fact that it has already been 5 years since Francesca did a whole fresh start with the brand. As well as the fact that we all put in sooooooo much work in the past five years, and we have definitely come so far!! We as a team and y’all as our supporters brought us as a brand to where we are now, and I believe this event is well deserved. I honestly can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with everyone!

What do you wish to see for Empire in the Air the next 5 years?

Honestly, us as team definitely can come to an agreement that we all want to see Empire having it’s own space. Empire is sooo much more than just a clothing brand, and to be able to have it’s own space where both team members and supporters can come together and share our own stories would exactly be what “Empire in the Air” strives to push for. Being able to reach past the clouds, achieving your dreams, and inspiring others! So I definitely wish to see Empire in the Air having it’s own space, for sure!

Other than that, LET’S ALL CONTINUE TO REACH MORE MILESTONES, YEAHHH!!!

Mile5tone will include art, fashion, AND food vendors! We’re going to be highlighting the different vendors and the Empire Team to get you hyped for Mile5tone.

Up next is a Post Signature

Post Signature signifies self empowerment. It’s ideals are a paradigm that one is able to achieve their full potential by having a mindset that their decisions and actions will promote positivity and prosperity within themselves and everyone around them. The “X” is not just a letter, but is also symbolism. It’s location is near the heart to show that a person must “sign” to give consent and believe that they are able to achieve their fullest spiritual and mental growth as a human being.

Social Media:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/PostxSignature/

WEBSITE: www.postsignature.com

IG: postxsignature

Come through on June 3rd for Mile5tone to check out Post Signature and our other vendors!

Leading up to June 3, we will be highlighting our vendors and different members of the Empire in the Air team. Next up we have Jelyn@Empire.

What do you do for Empire in the Air?

Hi y’all my name is Jelyn (jah-lean) and I am one of EITA’s product designers. I help Cheech with coming up with our dope collections every season by contributing what I believe will be the next top trend that our customers would love.  On top of that, we at EITA love to upcycle old clothing! We thrift jackets and shirts and put a little brand DIY loving to these pieces. Yay for being sustainable!

What is your favorite moment working with Empire in the Air?

Aww jeez there are lots of moments these past years. I don’t have a specific moment, but it’s a combination of all the moments when I am behind the scenes during events. You’ll usually see me behind the vendor tables chatting it up with y’all about our current collection and holding down the fort. I get to step back and see how all the events turn out. Seeing people enjoy the art, music, and all our hard work that we put into our events is the most humbling feeling.

What is your favorite empire piece?

You guessed it, the tagged cropped tee! This shirt is seriously my baby. Not only do I love this tee because it is timeless and you can wear it with basically anything, this was my first clothing piece that I helped create with EITA. Story behind this was that originally, these tees were only for our team. When I got my t-shirt I kinda just looked at it and thought, “Hmm this would be cute if it was cropped.” *grabs scissors* Then the rest was history. We got so much positive feedback that we had to make it available to y’all and eventually made them in different colors!

Why are you excited for Mile5tone?

As what Waka Flocka would say: “It’s a paaaarty it’s a partyyy it a partyyyyy!” Not only is it a celebration for all of our accomplishments throughout the years but also a big thank you for all the continued support for 5 years! I can’t wait too see all of our supporters and well as our new ones! Although we are celebrating the past, we also have new things in stored for you on June 3rd so what are you waiting for? Buy your ticket right meow!

What do you wish to see for the Empire in the Air for the next 5 years?

Having our homebase store front so we have a constant place to have our products readily available for you all as well as having an open place we can share with our community for creatives. I would also love for us to be featured on a major streetwear style blog like Hypebae or even have a major celeb be seen wearing one of our products. I mean this is quite a lot for this short amount of time but hey, a lot can be accomplished in fives years right?

We have an exciting line-up of vendors for our anniversary, Mile5tone! This line-up includes our homegirl Cas5andra. She’s previously joined us for Growth and both Goods for the Girl. She’s comin thru once again and we’re excited to see what she has in store for us on June 3!

More about Cas5andra:

To put it simply, I love learning new techniques on creating things whether it’s learning about sculpting, planting, painting, or even cooking. My profile – Cas5 Creative – while still in progress, displays all of the finished products of ideas that I have came up with in my head. I draw inspiration from pop culture, the things I like, the city of San Francisco, my family and my friends. ❤

Cas5andra sculpts Pokemon:

And! Makes wonderful pieces of art that blends her love for San Francisco with Pixar:

Come through on June 3 and enjoy the work of Cas5andra and our other vendors! And don’t forget, we’re gonna be dropping our summer collection, some new new specifically for our anniversary, AND we’ll be having hella giveaways. You’re gonna wanna be there.

Purchase tickets here | Facebook Event Page *** Pre-sale ends on Friday, May 25 ***

Leading up to June 3, we will be highlighting our vendors and different members of the Empire in the Air team. Next up we have Aiko@empire.

  What do you do for Empire in the Air?

ChiChai and I were college housemates for 2 plus years. Living with her I found out about Empire In The Air. Over our love for arts (drawing and dance) she asked me to do a dance video with The Collection, Spring 2013. She was one of the few that really believed in me especially when it came about dancing. Throughout the years, I continued to dance for past collections and half of the time I cringe because I knew it will be going on Youtube. LOL Fast forward…

  The Collection 2013

I helped out through marketing (EMPIRE IG) and sales. Catch me at events and giving you the best sales pitch. LOL

Urban Paradise 2018

Currently, I am involved in event planning (Art Of Us) and a health/fitness blogger. Still catch me in events giving you the best sales pitch. LOL Sticker Bomb Y’all.

aiko@empire

Urban Paradise 2018

What is your favorite moment working with Empire in the Air?

I have lots of favorite moments working with EITA. Meeting so many different people is a plus.. BUT!! A highlight is Art Of Us. EITA and Projects PEARLS gave me the opportunity to work with people I really look up to you, The Company. More so I’m very thankful for the outcome and experience we made with the community of Project PEARLS.

What is your favorite empire piece?

I’m always a fan of all the pieces and majority of my clothes are EITA based. But the shirt I ALWAYS REP has to be the TAG TEE! 🙂 I’m always about the simplicity and the TAG TEE HAS BEEN MY ABSOLUTE FAV. I wear it everywhere!

Why are you excited for Mile5stone?

5 Motherf^%k years?! Why can’t we be excited? Mile5stone says it all. A dope event with collectives, groups, individuals who inspired us…. IN ONE ROOF!!! Like C’mon?! Can I say Top 5 Top 5 Top 5. -Drake LOL

What do you wish to see for Empire in the Air in the next 5 years? 

Biggest one for not me but as a TEAM is our home base. A shop where all our empires combine. A space that consists of arts, clothes, gym, and a champorado cafe. LOL 🙂

Cheers to 5 years friends!

-aiko@empire

I met Francesca our 2nd year at SJSU in a bathroom during our PCN hell week. Between then and the end of that school year, she had asked me to do a shoot for her early release of the ‘Rocketeer’ Tee and we bonded so naturally. I started joining her for video shoots and helping with our pop up shops ever since.

  The title I carry with EITA is Public Relations and Event Planning. I assist with our pop up events, like this coming Mile5tone event, the Empire 5k, and am a writer for the RUNderlust blog.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset

What is your favorite moment working with Empire in the Air?

It brings me joy every time we go to a pop up event and find a connection to our audience! I love when both new and long time followers find their connection to the message of what EITA stands for but even having small talk about knowing we grew from our SJSU community. We love seeing your faces! Keep saying hello!!

Make sure to tag us #styleintheair and #myempireintheair so we can find you on Instagram!!

What is your favorite empire piece?

THIS IS SO HARD! Other than the og Tag Tee, which is a staple, I think I’ve work my Bridge hoodie the most. I love it because 1. ChiChai’ artwork 2. Bay Area Representation 3. I ended up cropping it so it looks fuego. I really hope we could bring the design back in print or a shirt someday!

  Why are you excited for Mile5stone?

Mile5tone is our way of giving back to you! Over the last 5 years, we’ve met so many creatives, and amazing people that have their own Empires to share. This is a celebration of what we’ve accomplished and what’s yet to come! I’m super excited to see this family all in one place!

What do you wish to see for Empire in the Air in the next 5 years? 

Obviously, we want our own shop somewhere in the Bay Area to call our own. But I want the brand to be able to host all these workshops we host, open mics, art classes, panels, and I want people to recognize our name! Also, it might not hurt to be a meeting place for future Run Clubs too 😉

To celebrate our 5 years in the game, we are throwing an anniversary party and we want you to be a part of it! For the past 5 years, Empire in the Air has taken part of the Bay Area community through its clothing and events. We strongly believe that we’ve made it thus far because of the love from our supporters.

Mile5tone will include art, fashion, AND food vendors! We’re going to be highlighting…