Soul wear

In an age where graphic tees are as normal a part of everyday clothing as checking to see if your fly is zipped before stepping out of the bathroom. A small local company called Analog Soul decided to do things a little differently.

It all began four years ago when three friends who we’ll call Miguel Naguiat, Mika Bautista and Paolo Lim felt there was a lack of affordable casual wear with an edge in our bustling city. “We felt that, with the talented artists we knew, we could produce high-quality products with graphic designs that could rival foreign brands but making it at an affordable price,” shares Migs.

They began their mission of making Manila’s bland souls a tad edgier by attempting to join as many Christmas bazaars as possible. Of course, as only truly cool people do, they missed all the sign-up dates. This led our three protagonists to stash various hip tee shirts in the trunks of their cars, hawking to any innocent friend or relative who unwittingly crossed their paths. “Luckily,” Migs elaborates, the response to our product was very good and we sold out everything before the season was over.” Because of the brochures they strategically distributed with their products, Mika, Migs and Pao were soon receiving calls from people they’d never heard of asking where Analog Soul could be purchased.

Four years later, Analog has become a well-known brand with the trendy and practical of Manila. They put up their first stand-alone store in Power Plant Mall mid-2006. And they’ve been churning out insanely affordable offbeat shirts, laptop bags, hoodies, beach totes and even bikinis with factory-efficient speed.

But what makes Analog different from your typical cookie-cutter molded graphic wear company is their lack of desire to turn a profit while having their designs suffer. They would rather see passion and soul put into each design and product than give you a hoodie you’ll only wear once. "We believe that what is important in life are the little things, those moments when a song uplifts your spirits, being awed by a beautiful sunset, laughing your heart out, getting a runner’s high, all of these are moments of the soul. It is these kinds of moments that are Analog Soul moments," says Migs.

The current list of artists who have given their designs to Analog is impressive. From children’s book illustrator Pepper Roxas, Ad Agency creative’s Mike Sicam and AJ Dimarucot, artists Lala Gallardo, Abi Goy, Nelle Paredes, Ramon Vismonte, and even super graphic design group Electrolychee.

Analog welcomes local artists to share their designs and get a thrill from seeing someone they’ve never met don attire they’ve created. Who knows, it might just be an insanely hot chick sipping a coffee pearl shake on a warm, summer day.

* * *

Analog Soul can be found at R2 level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell and 2/f The Ramp, Glorietta 4. Visit analogsoul.multiply.com for more details.