By Lorial Crowder

For thousands, Tribal Pinoy has become the iconic symbol of our heritage and ethnic pride as Filipino Americans. Long before the Pnoy Apparel, Pinoy Wear, and Tsinilas clothing companies, TP was one of the original Filipino street wear designers. The mastermind and pioneer behind Tribal Pinoy was Edwin Habacon, a native of Carson, California.

In 1999, I was a embarking on my own consciousness-raising journey as a Philippines-born American and found myself in San Diego at a National Filipino American Youth Association event. The intimate group setting gave me plenty of intellectual stimulation about the waves of immigration of our people, the brain drain, crab mentality, and the rich history in the motherland. After the intense presentations and conversations with the delegates, people converged to the vendor fair that also included information booths for the various political, humanitarian, and educational organizations.

This was my first encounter with Edwin and certainly not my last. Some may find his stature intimidating, but as you dialogued with him, it was obvious he was quite the opposite. Granted, I did not know him personally all that well, but in the years following I would run into him at other Fil-Am functions and he was a gentle giant with a passion to spread the love of our Filipino roots.

It was at this moment that I began my love affair as a walking billboard for Tribal Pinoy. Many times I did not want to share my secret about how to get ahold of these prized shirts and this was way before there was online shopping. You had to attend one of the conferences and events that he would vend at, and (at the time) this was minimal.

What attracted me to his shirts were the simplicity yet uniqueness of his designs. It was ingenious actually! Every shirt dawned the TP logo with or without a graphic. The power of the words “Tribal Pinoy” or “Tribal Pinay” spoke volumes and a tweak of the font was enough to get the “message” out.

A couple of years later he came up with the expression “Golden Brown & Delicious” or “GB&D” and a Lechon design, both of which captured the alluring essence of being Filipino in different ways.

It is difficult for me to choose a sole favorite Tribal Pinoy design. The one shirt that I truthfully wore to the bone was the red-rimmed collar and sleeves with TP font that resembled waves. I am an island girl at heart and feel a harmony with the ocean. With a large selection of shirts in various colors, it was hard for me not to buy them all.

Over the years, Edwin brought Tribal Pinoy Clothing to different cities and began making his way across the country on a regular basis to vend at annual community events here on the East Coast. I have fond memories of attending the Philippine Independence Day Parade in the summertime, taking the Fung Wah bus from Boston to New York City for the inevitable run-ins with old friends, and to be one of the hundreds of Filipinos crowding the streets in celebration. I especially looked forward to visiting Tribal Pinoy’s booth every year. On a couple of occasions, I offered to assist Edwin, and in exchange he thoughtfully gave me shirts.

Almost a decade later, it saddened me to hear that Tribal Pinoy would be phased out because of Edwin’s new endeavors in acting. I wondered what would become of the company and the design legacy he was leaving behind. However, I did understand that– like many of the other homegrown Filipino street wear companies–there is an eventual end because of the expenses of T-shirt production, and travel and vendor fees.

Then, in the summer of 2005, I was on Madison Avenue in New York City for the annual parade. Of course, there was an abundance of shopping for Filipino curiosities and clothing by Fil-Ams, and it was here that I first met James Berroya (now the owner of ARKANE™ and the Prince Giolo Apparel Group™), who was getting his start in the street wear business working as a sales rep for Tribal Pinoy just as Edwin was beginning to consider limiting his business trips to the East Coast.

We began to talk about his connection with TP, which led to a discussion about the designs. I mentioned to James that there was definitely a lack of representation of women warriors on the shirts and suggested it should be his next project. It dawned on me that James must have been well trusted by Edwin considering he was present at all the events.

As we continued to talk I told him my curiosity about the behind-the-scenes business of TP and was excited when James told me he visited Edwin in Carson and took pictures of his workshop. After viewing the photos, it gave me more admiration for the dedication he had to “serve the people” with his shirts.

Over the thirteen years that Tribal Pinoy was in business, other labels have emerged onto the scene and they have all carried a distinctive mark. However, in my opinion, TP continued its originality while others evolved by mainstreaming. Edwin’s commitment and dedication to Tribal Pinoy and to the Filipino community were expressed through his edgy and trendsetting shirts–and for those who have been fortunate to get ahold of them, Tribal Pinoy Clothing is part of a lasting legacy he created for the Gen X of Filipino Americans.

Born in Olongapo City, Philippines, Lorial Crowder was adopted by an American family when she was five. In 2005, she co-founded the Filipino Adoptees Network Website and continues working on special projects. She is now based in New York City.

From The Prince Giolo Apparel Group

Check out some Tribal Pinoy designs on sale on Ebay