In this exclusive interview with MEGA, Bretman Rock was nothing but genuine, honest, and simply da baddest
Singer, songwriter, actor, actress, athlete, activist—and the list goes on. Just from reading those words alone, you already know who we’re talking about. When it comes to the rise of the influencer era, whether it be in fashion or beauty, a few names come to mind, but one unquestionably stands out. Bretman Rock isn’t just your typical content creator who rose to fame from his hilarious videos. Even through the screens of a phone or laptop, anyone can definitely feel his larger-than-life personality, his crazy love-hate relationship with his sister, and his genuine thoughts on literally anything and everything under the sun.
RELATED: Eff Labels: Bretman Rock Proves That Fashion Knows No Bounds
On his own Filipino community
As we started our chat, Bretman shared what it was like moving to Hawaii when he was just a child, then becoming a first-generation Filipino immigrant in the United States. “When you come to Hawaii, you would think you just landed in Cebu because everyone there is brown, Filipino, Asian so I truly didn’t feel that much discrimination or felt out of place.” He added that because he was surrounded by other Filipinos just like him, his permanent move from the Philippines was an easy transition.
“Filipino silang lahat, ‘yung mga first friends ko. Tapos ‘yung mga friends ko rin ngayon, they’re all Filipino.”
On the big changes in and for the LGBTQ+ community
Bretman Rock is more than just a Filipino—he’s a queer Filipino. And when asked what he thinks has changed in his own personal journey, he opted to touch base on fashion and how brands and designers are breaking boundaries by not even thinking about gender labels anymore. “My biggest advocacy when it comes to fashion is truly ‘fuck labels.’ One day, I would love to go to a store where the clothes are not separated [into] women’s clothes and men’s clothes because at the end of the day, it’s fucking fabric. We should all be allowed to wear whatever we want.”
“The biggest thing that I’ve seen kind of happen in my world as a gay person has truly been just the direction in fashion.”
Bretman’s statements on the positive change in fashion is pretty evident in his latest partnership with BENCH. From cropped sweaters to skirts, da baddest proves that nothing is stopping him from advocating for gender equality through clothing. “A lot of my looks [for the shoot] today, I’m wearing a palda from the women’s collection, and then a sando from the men’s collection.” This newest collection, which BENCH proudly calls “BENCH For Everyone” is definitely a step towards equality and genderless clothing here in the Philippines where stereotypical standards are still very much prominent in society today.
Photography KIERAN PUNAY for MEGA
