A 12-Hour Guide To HGStreet--Here's Everything You Should Check Out

Published on:

08 Jun 2021, 12:15 pm

4 min read

On the third Sunday in March, Delhi will wake up to HGStreet. India’s first definitive lifestyle and street culture festival is here, it’s happening, and it’s been a long time in the making. Conceptualised by digital youth media publication and events company Homegrown, HGStreet is one-of-its kind. Repping India’s niche and nuanced sub-cultures, set against the country’s multi-faceted cultural landscape. A one-day celebration of bleeding edge art, fashion and music–a space dedicated solely to sneaker and street culture in India; HGStreet is for all people of all backgrounds who wear their hustle on their sleeves, to call home; an acknowledgement of the cultural rebellion of present times. A place where authenticity and originality can stand up and be counted amongst the icons who represent this brave new world best.

Pivotal moments started dotting India’s lifestyle and culture landscape with surprising frequency–a growing number of skate parks, the rise of the Superstars, Delhi’s VegNonVeg for the veritable sneakerhead, the explosion of gully hip hop, fresh streetwear brands that challenged the status quo of a flailing fashion industry, and the fact that mainstream media was finally starting to listen to these underrepresented voices over the last few years. This rapid emergence and intermingling of sub-cultures (with a uniquely Indian identity) have always been something we’ve championed as Homegrown, and now, we’re extremely excited and proud to invite you to find your place in this thriving new ecosystem, and navigate it.

Here’s a snippet of what’s going down at HGStreet on March 18 at Delhi’s Dhan Mill Compound.

Make sure you reach the venue nice and early. We’ve curated the very best global and Indian streetwear brands who will be setting up shop at HGStreet. Both well-known and relatively undiscovered, these labels and designers best represent India’s emerging street style movement. Cultivating a distinct identity in India’s fashion landscape, these designers and labels are inspired by everything from the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh to minimalism. Delhi-based Noire Company debuts its slick caps at HGStreet, fashion-forward upcyling brand Doodlage will be there, and Capsul will be making your acquaintance. All about discovering, curating and selling pieces that are more than clothes–they’re conversation starters—Capsul is a celebration of India’s emerging and constantly changing street culture.

If you catch a sick flip from the corner of your eye while you shop, that’s the sight of HGStreet’s skateboarding competition. Special custom painted skate ramps have been installed, so you can watch pros and amateurs alike, battle it out.

True blue sneakerheads, head to the adidas and PUMA brand labs between 3 – 5pm to participate in raffles and explore the possibility of a sick sneaker makeover.

Make sure you find your way to Jamil G’s American Royalty exhibition. The opportunity to immerse yourself in visual explorations of the origins and re-imaginations of hip-hop culture in the early day, the series has never been showcased in India before, and the exhibit will be open all day. From Jay-Z’s first press shot, studio sessions with Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, P Diddy, Queen Latifah and more – Jamil showcased a side of hip-hop society had never seen. Hip-hop enthusiasts, Jamil will be at the exhibit so if you’re lucky you may even get the chance to interact with the ‘Godfather of the Ghetto Fabulous’ look.

Simultaneously, homegrown artist Sumit Roy’s work will be on display at Oddbird Theatre all day. His practice is firmly rooted in the mural tradition of the art school and its concerns with the local context. Yet, he reinvents this inherited aesthetic on his canvases in a language that is boldly inspired by global, mainstream popular culture. Confronting the reality of an industrialized nation while occupying the Indian context, Sumit Roy juxtaposes an aspirational visual universe and the cult of global stardom with quotidian sights and attitudes from his immediate locale. The same approach extends to his music, where he uses the subversive, trans-continental form of hip hop to articulate ongoing contemporary political anxieties in India.

HGStreet will also set the stage for straight up conversations around sneaker x street culture, by and for the people who represent it best. From leading global streetwear platforms, media brands like Highsnobiety and labels to local designers and regional hip-hop icons like Badshah, we’ve got you covered through and through. Head of PUMA Select, Yassine Saidi will be at HGStreet, talking about the department responsible for the company’s lead in fusing culture and fashion by digging through its rich history, innovating and combining the aesthetics, style and creativity of PUMA with collaborators. Some of these include Fenty PUMA by Rihanna, ‘Run The Streets’ by The Weeknd and Big Sean– more than just shoe drops, instead, whole lines of lifestyle-fashion products that have resonated deeply with consumers around the world.

Let British skateboarder Nick Smith tell you about the Indian skate story. Referred to as the ‘Godfather of Indian skateboarding’ because of his contribution to the growth and recognition of skateboarding in India, Smith built the play arena skate part (the only proper skate park in India) and formed the Holy Stoked Collective, a name synonymous with skateboarding in India today. Smith is also the founder of BRGTN – An independent brand, where products compliment a collective lifestyle of skateboards, design and culture.

Meenakshi Singh and Bhavisha Dave, co-founders of Capsul–a street culture exchange, culture consultant and soon to be webshop for streetwear in India–will also be speaking directly to consumers, aspiring fashion entrepreneurs and street style enthusiasts.

As the sun sets on HGStreet, let your hair down and come acknowledge every Indian sub-culture that’s dared to keep things fresh. We’ve got an incredible line-up as artists like DJ Neil Armstrong (Jay Z’s touring DJ from 2008 to 2010), Natasha Diggs (Eyrkah Badu’s touring DJ), powerhouse performer and ‘daughter of the king’ Rajakumari, Delhi’s local hip-hop hero Prabh Deep, and British Grime music composer and performer Preditah taking over five stages, simultaneously. It’s a jungle out there, an urban jungle to be precise, as we transform these four warehouses in Delhi’s Dhan Mill Compound into unrecognisable spaces. An immersive experience, this is street culture’s homecoming.

And we’re celebrating until the wee hours of the morning. Join us.