JAWN's Curated

Back between the 2000s and the mid 2010s, there were a few things you'd always hear growing up around the Bankstown region.  "Shu cuz." "Haram." "Doggies." "Say wallah." And "MOEY DW CUZ." The stereotypical Moey DW was essentially a Lebo from Bankstown. Why Bankstown? Well, it was a thing back then that every Lebo who made it would move to Bankstown, so naturally, Bankstown became the home for Moey DW. Even if that was the stereotype, honestly, there were probably more Moey DW's in Punchbowl, Lakemba and Auburn than there actually were in Bankstown itself. And you knew exactly who Moey DW was the second you saw him. Always jigging school. Eyebrow slits. Brows threaded. A fade with a mullet or short spiked hair. Musty cologne, you know that specific musty – IFYKY. Those chunky Gucci glasses that looked like motorbike helmet visors. Had abs and acted like a gym junkie. Gold watch. Either a Nike FIT hat or a Gucci hat.  Always fres...

Eastlakes, over two decades ago, had several large public housing commission estates.  There was the Rosebery Apartments that had the maisonette blocks, Eastlakes Apartments that had the red bricks and Longworth Court. At least a quarter of Eastlakes was just public housing – honestly, it could have been even more.  The community was quite dense. Stereotypical housing residents, but yeah, there were also a lot of genuine, hard working class people in those housings and also around the area in general. There were also many migrant families moving into the area, especially into the housing estates, many of which had parents that didn’t really speak English. All the boys from the 90s to the 2000s would always go hang at the beach or at the shops. It was the spot where we could show off and look fresh. Aside from that, it was sorta like the little luxury we had for living in the area.  One thing that everyone was wearing was Nike FITS hats. Not the Dri-FITS but Nike FITS. Dri...

There are a few fashion pieces that capture an entire scene and community holistically.  One of those just happens to be the Nike TN. That shoe alone is synonymous with Sydney street culture and eventually recognised as adlay fashion. TNs were very different to every other offering on the market back in the day. Loud in colour, heavy in contrast and just felt rebellious. From its release in 1998, it carried the highest price tag in Foot Locker stores, making it the most obvious target for searchers. And aside from being the most expensive shoe in the store, it just looked good. It was marketed as a running shoe too – now, we all know nobody's doing Usain numbers in TNs, but hey, it is what it is. But that price tag came with status. Random fact: TNs were the most racked shoes from Foot Locker Australia. There were really only a few reasons people were wearing TNs across Sydney: you were rich enough to afford a pair, ballsy enough to roll someone else's or rack them straight fro...

Growing up, I've always heard stories of Hurstville from back in the day – specifically 1991 and onwards. Hurstville is affluent now and drastically different, but it used to be littered with crime. The fashion in Hurstville always ran brighter in colour than what you'd see out in Western Sydney from the late 90s onwards - well, at least for a while. I say this because of what I saw growing up, and seeing what the senior lads were still rocking. Not mentioned enough,  but NTER and the gutter rap scene had an influence on Hurzi fashion too.  Before the seating area outside the station was renovated by the council, we used to refer to it as "red seats." But there were also the seats to the right entry of the station. You know, at that intersection area where the buses are now. That spot had four corners, and each corner carried a different cultural heritage. You would see the Lebos on one side, the Aussies on the other, the Islanders on the next, and the South East and ...