On the red carpet of the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, American singer Adam Lambert paired a shiny Lanvin suit with black lapels with a pair of grey lace-up platform shoes from Singapore streetwear label Depression. The shoes drew attention well beyond the fashion pages.
They were the label’s Transformer Creepers, from its Autumn Winter 2013 Plastic Surgery collection. Lambert, known for a style that moves between rocker and glamour, wore them plain, without the studs, bows or wings that the pair was designed to take.
The designers wake up to the news
Kenny Lim and Andrew Loh, the duo behind Depression, had not known Lambert owned a pair. Speaking in 2013, Lim said he found out only after waking to a flood of congratulatory messages on social media, and he praised the styling. Loh said he admired Lambert for daring to be different, and called him an icon.
A Singapore fashion blog noted in August 2013 that Lambert had probably picked the shoes up while in Singapore for a concert. That was a guess, not a confirmed account.
What the shoes were
The Transformer Creepers belonged to a line of apparel and footwear that could be changed into different looks with a button switch or by removing sleeves. The shoes had a three-inch platform and came with buckle-on accessories. Lambert’s choice to skip them gave the pair a more polished look.
At the time, Depression shoes were stocked abroad at Solestruck and H Lorenzo in the United States and at Wut Berlin in Tokyo. The brand also had a flagship store at Cineleisure Orchard in Singapore.
Depression since then
Lim and Loh started Depression in 2006 after leaving advertising jobs they found draining, and the label began as a small T-shirt brand. It became known for unisex, mostly black collections with deconstructed design and unusual cuts, influenced by punk, goth and Japanese streetwear, according to Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.
The founders have shown at Berlin Fashion Week and Seoul Fashion Week. Lambert is still counted among the label’s celebrity fans, alongside the Black Eyed Peas and Kat Von D.
The brand’s website now describes Depression as the in-house label of Dark Wave. It describes the clothing as built around monochrome palettes, oversized silhouettes and distressed textures. Depression pieces are also sold at Sects Shop, a multi-label concept store at Orchard Gateway, and online at depression.com.sg.
FAQ
Which Depression shoes did Adam Lambert wear to the VMAs?
He wore the grey Transformer Creepers from the Autumn Winter 2013 Plastic Surgery collection, with no add-on accessories.
Who founded Depression?
Kenny Lim and Andrew Loh founded it in 2006, 20 years ago this year.