Words and Interview The Kanto team
Images Jethro Olba for New Era Philippines
Jethro Olba used to redraw NBA team logos by hand as a kid, alongside hours spent watching cartoons and admiring the packaging of action figures down to the smallest detail. Decades later, that same visual world has become the foundation of his practice. New Era CO11ECTIVE’s 11th anniversary capsule collection paired four Filipino artists with four core values, with Olba receiving Individuality; the seasoned Manila-based illustrator will tell you it was simply the natural result of everything he grew up surrounded by.
In our conversation, Olba talks about staying grounded in his own voice while Lei Melendres, Nicolo Nimor of Nick Automatic, and Raco Ruiz worked alongside him on their own interpretations, and what he hopes a total stranger feels the first time they put on a cap with his art.
Your style pulls liberally from a specific stretch of pop culture: 80s to early 2000s cartoons, comics, TV. At what point/when did nostalgia go from mood to becoming a visual language that you work in?
Jethro Olba: I don’t think it was a conscious decision. It just naturally came through in the way I create my own stuff because those were the things and ideas I grew up with. I spent countless hours watching cartoons, admiring the details and packaging of action figures, buying graphic tees that I love, following the NBA and recreating their team uniforms and logos, and simply being surrounded by that visual culture. Over time, I realized I was drawing from those references not just because they felt nostalgic and heartwarming, but because they genuinely shaped the way I tell stories; I guess it’s just authentic to me. The vibrant colors, expressive linework, and cheerful characters all became part of my toolbox. They eventually evolved into different subcultures, but those became the foundation of my visual language and the artist I am today.
Your fellow artists translated pride, authenticity, and collaboration into the same collection. Did seeing their direction change how hard or how loud you leaned into individuality on your own piece?
Jethro Olba: Actually, not really. Haha. I think what made the collaboration work was that everyone stayed true to their own creative voice and what felt authentic to them. I never felt the need to make my work louder or more extravagant because I trusted my own work. Instead, I focused on paying homage to the brand’s roots and history, as well as my personal style, just like everybody else in this project.
At the end of the day, it’s about being honest with your own creative language. Seeing everyone approach the project in their own way made the collection stronger as a whole. I’m just happy with what we were able to create together as a team!
What’s a specific choice in your New Era CO11ECTIVE piece? A line, character, or color that you’d defend as genuinely yours and not anyone else’s?
Jethro Olba: I think, beyond the visual style such as the vibrant colors and expressive, squiggly linework, what truly defines my work are the stories I want to tell through every composition. That’s what makes it unique. We all have our own voice and our own story to tell, and I believe those stories are what ultimately shape our OWN unique style.
Your lifestyle and streetwear brand Antibiotic Smile is built on nostalgia as identity. What do you want someone who’s never seen your personal work before to take from your piece the first time they put the cap or shirt on?
Jethro Olba: I hope they feel a sense of joy. I hope it sparks a childhood memory or reminds them of something they still love today because of that connection to their childhood or teenage years. More than anything, I hope it reminds them that we don’t always have to be serious.
There is now greater value in commemorating nostalgia or memory in a world getting increasingly forgetful about the past. What’s one lesson or value from the past that you wish more people would remember?
Jethro Olba: To me, I guess, it’s the value of taking things slowly, appreciating the process and the growth that comes with it, not trying to please everyone, and taking care of the people who really support your craft. •
New Era Philippines turns 11 this year, and celebrated with New Era CO11ECTIVE, a capsule collection handing its core values, Individuality, Collaboration, Authenticity, and Pride, to four different Filipino artists to interpret however they saw fit. The result: a red 59FIFTY carrying tonal embroidery and an undervisor combining every artist’s work, a deep green Camper with swappable Velcro patches, a navy 9TWENTY embroidered with all their visual languages at once, and a commemorative tee that folds each artwork into a single design. Every purchase also comes with a blind pack, a randomly selected print from one of the artists, while supplies last.
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