5CAR5 Graphic Retrospective

SCARS (5CAR5) Brand building · Illustration · Brand system · Visual Identity · Brand Application · Product Development · Merch Design

SCARS is a passion project and homegrown Cebuano cult streetwear label built by Chad Manzo. His tenure ran approximately 6 years in total, and painstakingly developed solo. The brand has gained significant success and notoriety with its loud and groundbreaking visual appeal, in a time when streetwear was still growing to its biggest peaks in a city that is yet to embrace the culture entirely. From 2019 the brand was acquired by Dice Rosaroso and Honeyleen Concepcion (Mobbstar) and has since changed hands. This body of work is a visual retrospective of all the t-shirt graphics and products that existed in the public space from 2013-2019.

Scope of work: visual identity, brand guardianship, graphic prints, product development, social campaigns, shop/online presence, artist collaborations, production, trend research, product range development, product rollout, supplier relationships, finance and budgeting, marketing, creative direction, art direction, campaign shoots, video shoots, and storefront.

The Brand Story

Graphic Collection (2013-2018)

Collaboration Work

Along the way, the brand was an early adopter of local community collaborations, unknowingly setting up the blueprint of what was to come in future generations. The brand was a staple in the local music scene and a mainstay of Threadfest - the country's largest music and merch event at that time. Collaborations included local premier heavyweights in the t-shirt space like Nick Automatic, 19th Teeshop, Aframe Surf Company, musical acts Small Hands and Faspitch, and illustrator collaborations from Michael Shantz and Spykee.

Product and Range Development

At its peak, SCARS was also known for developing unique products ahead of its time. The brand had a quiet segue into cut and sew, structural prints, textured snapbacks, and zipper pockets. Out of all its products, the most notable were the pocketable wet bag developed in collaboration with Aframe, and the Dante Hybrid hoodie - which was a cardigan with a detachable hood.

Lookbook and Video

A small collection of recovered photo and video shoots. The rest are lost media. :(

Director of Photography for video: Karl Lucente; Creative Direction/Art Direction: Chad Manzo