amese and Thai brands making a statement with their bold, gutsy urban designs, technical fabrics and unique silhouettes that acknowledge the tropical climate. That statement, though, has not yet translated into global sales, despite social media channels such as Instagram making it easy to spread the message and celebrities such as K-pop band Blackpink wearing the creations of Vietnamese and Thai designers on tours and in videos. Within hours – sometimes minutes – of their appearance in a video or concert, the entire inventory of the clothes will sell out. Heavy Pop at Siam Discovery Also helping to spread the message, within the region at least, are the mall operators in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok, which are heavily committed to showcasing emerging local and regional brands. The latest example is at the Siam Discovery mall in Bangkok: throughout September, Vietnamese multi-brand retailer Heavy Pop has a space on the first floor. It isn’t large, but it is impactful, featuring brands that have their own original take on urban culture in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There is a heavy emphasis in this pop-up on loud graphic T-shirts, shorts and hoodies by brands including Stressmama, DirtyCoins and Hades, all of which operate stores in Vietnam’s mainstream market. Heavy Pop itself is a curator of pop-up spaces like these and has no physical stores of its own. It is, essentially, a platform for putting the individual brands in front of customers whom the brands themselves have trouble reaching. Vietnamese versus Thai streetwear Why would Thai malls promote Vietnamese streetwear brands when there are so many good emerging brands in Thailand? The reason is that, although the Thai “new wave” is similar in some ways to the Vietnamese style, there are some distinct differences. In both cases, the designs are gender-indifferent, with silhouettes tending to be oversized and boxy in recognition of the hot climates: the hoodies and T-shirts are approaching immense, and the bottoms are wide-legged and relaxed. In both countries, the designs are heavily influenced by local and regional pop culture. But the differences are as clear as the similarities: Thai designs tend to be colourful and playful and go in heavily for internet memes. They often incorporate traditional cultural symbols and stories. Thai streetwear also features a kind of Thai interpretation of athleisure, with shorts adapted from Muay Thai boxing, tracksuit pants and sports-themed tops. While Thai designs are extravagant and garish, Vietnamese streetwear is more avant-garde, edgy and dark and doesn’t go in so much for traditional cultural symbolism. Streetwear is booming in Asia-Pacific Fortune Business Insights values the global streetwear market at almost US$398 billion in 2026 and forecasts annual growth of 7.95 per cent through 2034. The growth rate is much faster in the Asia-Pacific region, as growing hip-hop culture and social media awareness put Thai and Vietnamese streetwear squarely on the radar. Both countries have long been apparel and footwear manufacturing powerhouses that helped feed the requirements of Western global brands; now, they are transitioning into hubs of design excellence as well. Although it is extremely difficult to estimate, the internal streetwear market for the two countries is probably already in the region of US$1–2 billion. Invisibility outside the region Even so, it is still extremely rare for global chains operating outside the region to sell Thai and Vietnamese streetwear brands to local consumers. There is a smattering of international stockists, but that’s pretty much it apart from special pop-up events. One major hurdle is that the volumes required by global chains cannot be delivered, or at least cannot be guaranteed: these are all still niche brands, and they rely on limited editions and exclusivity for their popularity. To sell to external markets, it is preferable to go via e-commerce or social media routes direct-to-consumer, but even this is in its early days, and sizing for markets outside Asia is problematic. Recall how even Uniqlo got itself into trouble in its first foray into the US market because it failed to size appropriately for the US customer. Mass e-commerce platforms such as Amazon Marketplace offer Thai and Vietnamese apparel, but these are primarily conventional mass-market fabrics and garments rather than underground streetwear brands. Customers outside the region itself therefore have slim pickings if they are after the streetwear labels. It’s Vietnam month at Discovery Within the region itself, though, awareness is growing, and so are sales. At Siam Discovery this month, two other Vietnamese pop-ups are operating one floor below, at ground level: womenswear brands Cocosin and Mollynista, each with its own distinctive fashion take. Though neither is a streetwear retailer, their distinct Vietnamese styling and heritage have caught the eye of incubators outside Vietnam itself. Chief among these pop-up platforms, apart from Siam Discovery itself, are three other malls owned by Thai retail developer Siam Piwat: Siam Center, Iconsiam and Siam Paragon. Each of them strives for difference. While major malls worldwide tend to be known primarily for their menu of global chains, Siam Piwat’s are bent on showcasing the best emerging Thai and regional designers, with unique, customised storefronts and layouts. The idea is to offer visitors something they haven’t seen before, rather than something they’ve seen a thousand times. Further reading: A slew of new retailers at Siam Center