Sneaker culture has evolved beyond the initial throngs of hip-hop and basketball. Virgil Abloh famously led the bridging of streetwear and luxury clothing with his Off-White collaboration with Nike on “The Ten,” and the movement has continued in audiences integrating iconic silhouettes in a wide range of styles.
Sustaining this culture are content creators like Jeff Ong and Rhea Bue-Ong. In many ways, the husband and wife duo represent the convergence: Jeff, with his streetwear fits that feature a quiet luxury, and Rhea with her glamorous looks complemented by a heat pair or two. Both have their inspirations: Jeff from being a photographer of popular casual wear brands, and Rhea from the Laureen Uys and David Guisons of the world.
The pair exudes natural chemistry, proving that collaborations are the lifeblood of everything fashion—sneaker culture included. Complex Philippines talks to Jeff and Rhea about content creation, its underrated aspects, and the future.
Rhea: I started more than a decade ago. I was still in Zamboanga. I was influenced by most of the Manila vloggers like Laureen Uy and David Guizon. I started doing OOTDs, and then I joined the lookbook community.
Jeff: I started because of [Rhea]. I like taking photos and outfits, pero hindi maganda. Nung nag-meet kami, pinush niya ako to create and pursue [content creation].
(I like taking photos and outfits, but they weren’t any good initially. When we met, she pushed me to create and pursue [content creation].)
Jeff: Part siya, pero consistency parin.
(It’s part of it, but consistency is still the key.)
Rhea: You definitely need to do more than [put yourself out there]. You have to be special in a way. You need to show the world what you’re only capable of doing.
Jeff: Hindi lang siya yung picture-picture lang. Dapat may sense o substance yung content na ilalabas mo. Otherwise, for me feel ko di siya mag-work.
(It’s not just about taking pictures. Your content needs to have sense or substance. Otherwise, it won’t work.)
Rhea: Agree; it’s also about branding and marketing yourself. You need to know who you’re targeting, especially if you’re working with brands. Brands are very particular about what you offer and your personality.
Jeff: I see content creation leaning towards videos and Reels. I think outfit content will stick because everyone’s looking for inspiration, even us. Feel ko mas magiging raw yung [approach] ng content. (I feel like content will have a more “raw” approach.)
Rhea: Brands are looking to work more with content creators, especially post-pandemic. [Social media] is gonna be a bigger business. Fashion content will stay because trends come and go. Different personalities will come up with different ways on how to style a trend so it’s going to keep growing.
For the more “raw” or slice-of-life videos naman, it’ll also be big because people sometimes want to see who you really are. The genuine side of you.
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© Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photography Borgy Angeles
Art and Art Direction Alexandra Lara and James Francisco
Interview and Story Gelo Lasin
Styling Assist Jana Silao assisted by Sophie Silao
Makeup Nadynne Esguerra
Hair Patrick John
Production Complex Philippines
Location Bulb Studios
COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.
© Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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