Just this January, NBA player and style icon Jordan Clarkson was photographed for LeagueFits, an Instagram account with over a million followers dedicated to showcasing the fashion of the league’s beloveds. Considered one of the most valuable players on Utah Jazz’s roster, there is little variance when it comes to Clarkson’s in-game performance. There’s even less when it comes to his impeccable personal style.

The photo showed Clarkson in his usual streetwear: baggy jeans, a Balenciaga Le Cagole crossbody, jewelry adorning him head to toe, and a particular hoodie that fans in the comments just couldn’t get enough of. It was a hoodie from a brand called Memory Lane Park, founded and designed by a self-taught 20 year-old in Seattle, Washington.

Jeon Lipa was born in the Philippines and raised in Calgary, Canada before moving to Seattle in 2016. As a middle schooler, inspired by streetwear landmark labels Yeezy and Supreme, Lipa’s knack for fashion took root in t-shirt design, unknowingly planting the seed for a career to come. Watered by friends and nurtured by community, the South Seattle-based brand launched as Taböshi (2018), blossoming into what is now revered as Memory Lane Park.

Music is at the heart of Memory Lane Park, both in the genesis of its name and in the brand’s nod to 90’s nostalgia. Lipa’s biggest inspirations come from old-school rappers — Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill’s lyrics actually adorn some of the brand’s first graphic tees.

“We were listening to Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park) by Nas and thought that could be a cool name, so we ran with it,” Lipa recalls.

In many ways, Memory Lane Park is a way for Lipa to track the evolution of his personal style. An ethos of practicality is deeply embedded in his creative process. “I first think about what I need and what I like. I take inspiration from unique pieces and try to add my own twist,” Lipa says.

The brand most recently ventured into leather goods with the launch of their card holders. The design embossed onto the leather was inspired by artwork Lipa saw on Chinese porcelain.

“I just make what I need at the time. I needed a zip up, so I made one. I needed a card holder, so I made that too. I’m just grateful that other people adore it as much as I do and are willing to support it.”

Memory Lane Park is essentially a one-man show. Lipa oversees top to bottom operations — from creative direction and design to daily operations and customer service.

While Lipa admits of the challenges that follow his ever-changing responsibilities, he gives great credit to the support he receives from his community. Seattle’s creative industry is still very much developing, but where it loses in quantity makes up tenfold in quality. Emily Un, a close friend of Lipa, has been photographing the brand’s campaigns since its early beginnings and is now its project manager. And local videographer Genesis Dacayanan has been like an older brother and mentor figure to Lipa, guiding him through the brand’s creative operations. Close friend and original co-founder Christian Odilao is also cited to be a close collaborator, even after having parted ways to start his own brand called Retromatics. While Seattle’s infrastructure isn’t seemingly built to support creativity, its vibrant community works to say otherwise, laying down the groundwork to support one another in the individual endeavors and collective ambitions to always create and admire art.

It’s a bright future ahead for Lipa and his brand. Memory Lane Park has amassed a dedicated following online, garnering attention from fashion influencers from around the world, notably New York, LA, London, and Singapore. Its Instagram’s tagged section shows thousands in the “Memory Lane Uniform”, Lipa’s signature combination of baggy jeans, a white tee, and the brand’s NY hoodie.

Lipa and his designs are set to make their runway debut at New York Fashion Week come Fall 2024.

There’s no denying creative influence in our city — and Memory Lane Park is only one facet of a promising beginning.

Reach column writer Somi Park at musemediauw@gmail.com
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