This evening unfolds in two parts, beginning with a reflection on the evolution of streetwear from subculture into the global force it is today. Farhid “Fats” Shariff brings over four decades of lived experience across fashion and street culture, from the early days of Gimme Five in 1990s London through to relationships with brands including Palace, Patta, BAPE, Corteiz, Nike, Maharishi and Mains. Having worked alongside figures such as Nigo, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Futura, Fergus Purcell, Sofia Prantera, Harris Elliott and Clint, and with early links into high fashion through Karl Lagerfeld’s Lagerfeld Sports, his perspective traces how instinct driven communities grew into a worldwide cultural language shaped by music, diaspora, identity and collective energy.
The second part shifts into how that culture is built and sustained. Fats operates as a creative advisor and cultural connector, someone who understands culture, product and business simultaneously, what can be described as Business Tuning. The conversation explores the lifecycle of culture led brands, from early scarcity and founder instinct, through growth and momentum, into the pressure points of scale, and ultimately towards longevity or decline, unpacking how structure, leadership and decision making can be introduced without losing cultural identity.
Together, the session moves from where streetwear comes from into what it takes to carry it forward. Grounded in real experience across creative direction, cultural strategy, brand positioning, product development and mentorship, it offers a rare, honest perspective on building within culture without losing the thing that made it resonate in the first place.
Hosted by Leon Rehman.