From Caloocan to the World: The Dos Mil Story — The Third World • Community driven and built by culture – Streetwear, sneakers, photography, music, art and lifestyle.

In an industry surrounded by constant cycles of trends and aesthetics, authenticity has become one of fashion’s most valuable currencies. Beyond the garments, collections, and campaigns, what stick with people most deeply are those grounded in a story that feels lived, rather than constructed. For Dos Mil founders Raiden and Kurt, that story was their truth long before their brand was imagined.

Born in the year 2000 and raised in Caloocan, the two friends shared a passion for thrifting and shirts that eventually evolved into a creative partnership rooted in their shared experiences and common vision. Dos Mil stands as both a clothing brand and a journey that tackles where they came from, the struggles that shaped them, and the community they continue to grow alongside.

Dos Mil’s drive to truly present its reality is perhaps most significant in its visual language. Across multiple campaigns, the brand doesn’t shy away from portraying life in Manila, the way they have lived within it. Rather than simply showcasing garments, Dos Mil invites its audience to take part in their world. Wearing the brand is more than carrying its name; it is also equivalent to carrying the grit, passion, and courage of two founders and the crew that they have cultivated alongside them.

While Raiden and Kurt move where their creativity and lived experiences go, every step they take feels strategically executed, while remaining in tune with their intentions. Even the name “Dos Mil,” inspired by the founders’ birth year, was chosen not only for its personal meaning, but also for its versatility, an identity that is a flexible canvas for the brand’s evolving designs and storytelling.

Beyond being a streetwear label, Dos Mil is living proof that the strongest brands are built both by creative power and stories that find its foundation in the depths of one’s being. It is these irreplicable qualities that enable a brand to be distinguishable and stand the test of time. In this conversation, Raiden and Kurt reflect on the journey behind Dos Mil, the identity that continues to shape it, and the vision they hope to bring from Caloocan to the world.

QUESTION AND ANSWER: ON DOS MIL’S BEGINNINGS

DOS MIL CARRIES A VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT FEELS SO DISTINCT. HOW DOD THE CREATIVE VISION FOR DOS MIL COME TOGETHER, AND WHAT INFLUENCES OF EXPERIENCES INSPIRED THE BRAND’S CREATIVE IDENTITY?

Raiden: Growing up, mahilig akong manood ng movie and isa rin sa favorite director ko si Martin Scorsese. Pinaka-natandaan ko na sinabi niya is "the most creative is the most personal." Gaya ng ginagawa namin sa Dos Mil, kung paano kami magkwento ng story, paano kami gumawa ng product and all, pati 'yung mga campaign videos, lahat 'yun may personal story behind it. ‘Yung creative direction ng Dos Mil, masasabi ko unique siya kasi nanggaling 'yun sa puso, sa kaluluwa ng kada-isa sa amin.

(Growing up, I loved watching movies, and one of my favorite directors has always been Martin Scorsese. One thing he said that really stayed with me was, "The most creative is the most personal." That's exactly how we approach Dos Mil. The way we tell stories, the way we create our products, even our campaign videos—everything has a personal story behind it. I think what makes Dos Mil's creative direction unique is that it comes from the heart and soul of each of us.)

Kurt: Para sa akin naman 'yung inspiration ng Dos Mil is simula siya sa lola't lolo ko kasi mananahi sila. Every time na may ginagawa silang business nung bata ako, nakikita ko talaga kung paano nila ginagawa. Kaya siguro 'yung inspiration ko kung paano rin gumawa ng damit, doon ko nai-apply sa nakikita ko sa surroundings ko.

(For me, the inspiration behind Dos Mil started with my grandparents because they were both tailors. As a kid, I would always watch them work whenever they were making clothes or running their business. I think that's where my inspiration to create garments came from. Over time, I learned to apply those early influences to the people, places, and surroundings I grew up with.)

HOW DID YOUR SENSE OF PURPOSE INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU BUILT DOS MIL AND SHAPE THE BRAND INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY?

Raiden: Sa pinanggalingan namin, doon kami nagkaroon ng bond, ‘yung malaman mo ‘yung strength and weaknesses ng isa't isa. Nake-keep namin ni Kurt ‘yung tulungan namin, [at] ‘yung teamwork namin kasi alam na namin yung strength and weaknesses ng isa't isa.

(From where we came from, that’s where we built our bond and learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Kurt and I have been able to maintain our support for one another and our teamwork because we already understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.)

WITH THE CONTINUOUS RISE OF STREETWEAR BRANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES, WHAT SETS DOS MIL APART FROM THEM?
Raiden: Para sa akin, what sets Dos Mil apart from the other brand is unang-una ‘yung taste. Pangalawa ‘yung teamwork, pangatlo ‘yung story. Para sa akin ‘yung taste talaga ‘yung pinakamahalaga tsaka ‘yung story kasi ayun yung magpapakita sa ibang brand, sa international brand mostly kung ano talaga ‘yung kaya nating ibigay. Kami ni Kurt palagi naming sinasabi sa sarili namin na hindi naman natin 'to pinag-aralan at walang tinuro sa atin kung paano ‘yung tama at mali. Ang alam lang natin is ‘yung taste na meron tayo at kung paano natin mae-expand ‘yun.

(For me, what sets Dos Mil apart from other brands is, first and foremost, our taste. Second is our teamwork, and third is our story. I believe taste and story are the most important because they show other brands—especially international brands—what we are truly capable of creating. Kurt and I always tell ourselves that we didn’t study this, and no one taught us what was right or wrong in building a brand. The only thing we had was our own taste and the ability to expand on it.)

WHAT DOES STREETWEAR MEAN TO DOS MIL BEYOND FASHION?

Raiden: Para sa akin, 'yung streetwear, 'di lang siya basta damit, 'di lang siya basta products na mayroon kami. 'Yung streetwear para sa Dos Mil is 'yung story, eh. 'Yung kwento behind it, 'yung kung paano mo madodocument 'yung nangyayari talaga sa streets. Kaya para sa akin, ayun talaga 'yung magse-set apart ng Dos Mil sa other brands. Mayroon talagang istorya, mayroong pagpapakita ng kung paano [kami] gumagawa ng community, paano namin name-meet 'yung mga tao behind it, kung paano namin nabuo 'yung team, kung paano kami gumawa ng product. Para sa akin, ayun 'yung streetwear. Ayun 'yung mahalaga, like, galing ka talaga sa streets tsaka kaya mo makwento talaga.

(For me, streetwear isn’t just about clothing or the products we create. For Dos Mil, streetwear is about the story behind it—the ability to document what is truly happening on the streets. That’s what sets Dos Mil apart from other brands. There is a real story behind it: showing how we build a community, how we meet the people behind the brand, how we formed our team, and how we create our products. To me, that’s what streetwear is about. What matters is that you truly come from the streets and that you have a story to tell.)

Q&A: ON DOS MIL’S CREATIVE IDENTITY

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DOS MIL’S VISUAL LANGUAGE AND HOW IT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME?

Raiden: Nanggaling kasi kami sa DIY like guerrilla marketing at filming. Then nag-evolve kami na ngayon kaya na namin bumuo ng team, kaya na namin mag-provide ng props. Para sa amin, narealize ko na mas raw, mas organic, mas maganda, mas nagugustuhan ng tao. Hindi namin kailangan pekein kung ano yung ginagawa namin, ‘yung status na meron kami. Para sa akin, mas nafe-feel ng community, ng people, na totoo kami sa kanila.

(We came from a DIY background, starting with guerilla marketing and guerilla filming. Over time, we evolved to the point where we could build a team and provide the necessary props for our productions. Through that process, we realized that a more raw and organic approach feels better and resonates more with people. We don’t need to fake what we do or the status we have. I believe the community and the people who support us can feel that we are genuine.)

BEYOND SHOWCASING THE PRODUCTS, WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR CAMPAIGNS AND OTHER VISUALS TO COMMUNICATE?

Raiden: Gusto namin mas mapakita kung saan kami nanggaling at gaano kahirap ‘yung struggle at journey na pinanggalingan din namin. Akala kasi mostly ng tao na galing kaming sa mayaman na pamilya or galing kami sa city na maayos. Nagugulat sila ‘pag nalalaman nila na galing kaming Caloocan. Ayun ‘yung gusto namin ma-portray sa mga shoots namin, na gusto naming ma-reach ‘yung ganitong level, ganitong goal namin, pero at the same time mapakita pa rin ‘yung grit tsaka ‘yung struggle na meron ‘yung Caloocan. Para sa akin mahalaga mapakita ‘yung roots kung saan ka nanggaling. Gusto namin i-showcase ‘yung story ng kada individual na nasa team namin at lalo na syempre kami.

(We want to show where we came from and how difficult the struggles and journey behind us have been. A lot of people assume that we come from wealthy families or from a progressive cityt, but they are often surprised when they find out that we come from Caloocan. Through our shoots, we want to portray our ambition to reach a certain level and achieve our goals while still showing the grit and struggles that are part of Caloocan. To me, it is important to present the roots of where you came from. We want to highlight the story of every individual in our team, especially our own.)

Kurt: Kuwento ng buhay namin, kuwento ng pinanggalingan namin. Para sa’kin, mas nagiging natural kapag ‘yung reference mo is ‘yung buhay mo, ‘yung lugar mo, [at] ‘yung experiences mo kasi mas totoo ‘yun eh.

(It’s the story of our lives and where we came from. For me, it feels more natural when your references come from your own life, your own place, and your own experiences because that’s what makes it real.)

Q&A: ON TWO FACE STORY

HOW DOES TWO FACE STORY CONNECT WITH DOS MIL, AND HOW DID IT BECOME PART OF DOS MIL’S IDENTITY?

Raiden: Ginawa namin yung Two Face Story two years after ng pag-create namin ng Dos Mil. Gusto ko kasi mapakita dito sa Two Face Story ‘yung creativity at tsaka ‘yung story behind ng campaign, ng collection. Gusto ko makita ng mga tao dito kung sino ‘yung mga involved tsaka kung sino ‘yung mga utak na tumulong din sa amin along the way.

Kumbaga nandito sa Two Face Story yung raw na kwento talaga ng mga nangyayari sa amin, sa team, sa crew at mga collaboration din ng mismong crew sa iba't ibang brands at ibang art.

(We created Two Face Story two years after starting Dos Mil because I wanted it to showcase the creativity and the stories behind our campaigns and collections. I wanted people to see who was involved and recognize the minds that helped us along the way.

Two Face Story is where we share the raw, unfiltered story of what’s happening with us: our team, our crew, and the collaborations we’ve built with different brands and creatives across various art forms.)

Q&A: ON DOS MIL’S CULTURAL INFLUENCE

AS DOS MIL CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH ANNIVESARY, WHAT IS ONE PRODUCT THAT BEST REPRESENTS THE JOURNEY, PASSION, AND GROWTH OF THE BRAND?

Kurt: ‘Yung Armani talaga. Kasi dito kami napapansin ng mga international na tao. Pinadala rin namin ‘to kay Willy Chavarria, then kay [Matthew] Henson, stylist ni ASAP Rocky. [Ang] inspiring kasi wala naman kaming guide din sa lugar namin since nung nag-start kami nito. Para sa akin learning by experience 'yun. Hindi rin namin na-expect na mapupunta kami sa ginagawa namin, kaya paninindigan talaga namin.

(It's definitely the Armani piece. It was through that design that we started getting noticed by people overseas. We also sent it to Willy Chavarria and to Matthew Henson, A$AP Rocky's stylist. It's inspiring because we never really had a guide or mentor where we came from when we started. Everything we learned came through experience. We never expected our work to take us this far, which is why we're committed to seeing it through.)

Raiden: Armani kasi parang nagpo-portray siya ng buhay namin. At the same time kasi ang kwento namin ni Kurt nanggaling 'yun sa lola niya, 'yung inspired doon sa lola's curtains. Parang pinapakita kasi ng Armani na parang kaya eh, kaya mag-transcend ng Armani na galing sa ukay to parang mukha na siyang luxury. Tsaka kahit parang normal day lang kaya mo siyang suotin.

(Armani reflects our lives in a lot of ways. The story behind it actually started with Kurt's grandmother, inspired by the curtains in her home.The Armani piece represents the idea that something can transcend its origins. From a thrifted garment, it can transforms into something that feels luxurious. At the same time, it's still something you can wear every day.)

WHERE DO YOU SEE DOS MIL EVOLVING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Raiden: Nakikita ko 'yung Dos Mil in the next few years doing international pop-ups. Pagkatapos namin malibot talaga 'tong Pilipinas [at] gumawa ng mga local pop-ups, gagawin talaga namin 'yung international pop-up. Nasimulan na namin sa Milan sa tulong ng mga tropa at pamilya dun sa Milan.

Gusto namin makagawa pa ng next, iba't ibang bansa like Tokyo, Paris, LA, New York. Gusto naming mapakita sa mga Pilipino na kaya [natin] gumawa nun, kaya [natin] mag-risk. May ibubuga tayo pagdating sa fashion at sa pag-kuwento ng istorya.

(I see Dos Mil in the next few years doing international pop-ups. After we fully explore the Philippines and create more local pop-ups, our goal is to bring the brand internationally. We already started that journey in Milan with the help of our friends and family there.

We want to expand to different cities like Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York. We want to show Filipinos that we are capable of achieving those things, that we can take those risks, and that we have something to offer when it comes to fashion and storytelling.)

WHAT IS A DREAM COLLABORATION OR CREATIVE PROJECT THAT WOULD REPRESENT AND RESONATE WITH THE BRAND PERFECTLY?

Raiden: Para sa akin, ‘yung dream collaboration or creative project is Aimé Leon Dore. Ayun talaga ‘yung nakikita ko para sa akin kung paano maggawa ng campaign at gumawa ng kwento na nagre-resonate talaga kung ano ‘yung city na meron sila, kung saan sila galing. Gusto ko makipag-collab sa mga brands na ganun, mayroong roots, mayroong uniqueness.

Pero siyempre, isang dream collaboration din sa amin is Dos Mil Nike. Ayun ‘yung pinakagusto naming mangyari kasi pangarap ‘yan ng lahat ng bata, lahat ng team namin gusto mangyari na magkaroon ng sapatos talaga. Kasi doon kami nanggaling sa pagbebenta ng sapatos, pagbebenta ng mga Nike shoes.

(For me, my dream collaboration or creative project would be with Aimé Leon Dore. I admire how they create campaigns and tell stories that truly resonate with the city they come from. I want to collaborate with brands like that—brands with strong roots and a unique identity.

Of course, another dream collaboration for us is Dos Mil x Nike. That would be something we would love to achieve because it has always been a dream for many young people and for our entire team to create our own footwear. We came from selling shoes, especially Nike shoes, so seeing that journey come full circle would mean a lot to us.)