Yokkao, a Bangkok-based Muay Thai company is pushing the frontiers with the national sport. Best known for its trendy designs that stand out from other traditional Muay Thai brands, Yokkao has announced its all-out venture into fashion with the launch of its new streetwear line.
Led by its founder Philip Villa, the leading Thai boxing brand has added to its catalogue a full-fledged fashion collection featuring a complete range of streetwear essentials. Fans can now shop trendy Muay Thai-inspired street fashion wear like graphic tees, sweat pants, tracksuits, caps and other lifestyle accessories.
Yokkao first came onto the scene in 2010 and quickly became one of the top players in the global Muay Thai industry. Villa has built a name for his company through continuous innovation and updating the business model to keep up with emerging trends. Yokkao’s operation now covers gear/equipment manufacturing, international promotions, training seminars, and running its own training centre with a fight team of established combat athletes such as Muay Thai living legend, Saenchai.
The brand has always been ahead of the game with keen observation and early adoption of the latest business trends. Many consider Yokkao a social media marketing pioneer compared to its peers in the industry. Since the early days, Yokkao puts out regular social media posts that often go viral with an in-house content creation team to stay connected with fans. In fact, Yokkao is one of the first combat sports brands to launch its own channel on YouTube and post training videos in full-HD. The company has been spotlighted on CNN as one of the top businesses in Thailand to use social media to build its fan base and online presence. Villa estimates that his brand reaches over 20 million fans worldwide every month across various platforms based on analytics.
Philip Villa and his crew have always sought to modernise the sport and to connect the worlds of Muay Thai and fashion. In recent years, Yokkao has managed to consistently release fightwear and gear that brings the worlds of Muay Thai and fashion even closer through contemporary designs. The start of 2021 also marked a big leap for Yokkao when it launched a full collection of sportswear in the fashion capital of Milan. Making its debut at Milan Fashion Week, the move pushes fightwear deep into the world of fashion for the first time. With the new streetwear collection, Yokkao is now going all-in.
The global streetwear market is estimated to be worth around $185 billion in sales. This amount makes up about 10% of the entire global apparel and footwear market. Yokkao’s entry as a Thai boxing-inspired label puts it in a unique position to capture a slice of the massive streetwear industry pie.
As Yokkao levels up, Villa has hinted at plans for the company to expand its operations and set up a Yokkao head office in Los Angeles sometime in 2022. LA, as a world-renowned streetwear hub, could potentially provide Yokkao with the right environment to grow in the streetwear and fashion industry.
Today, many youngsters in Thailand perceive Muay Thai to be an outdated sport but Yokkao is constantly pushing the boundaries and breaking down stereotypes. The new streetwear collection gives a hint of where the brand is going and if it is any indication, Yokkao is certainly a brand to watch in the days ahead.