The pages of Complex magazine came to life as downtown hipsters and local fashion celebs from the outer boroughs danced the night away in Marc Ecko’s show room on 23rd street in Manhattan, December 7th. The event, sponsored by Complex in partnership with Johnny Walker, Nintendo Wii, and Amp’d Mobile, was designed to be a real-life extension of the Premium Goods section of Complex magazine where “cooler-than-you” editors present a monthly line-up of the latest must-have urban gear and goods. Highlights from the evening included a handful of “celebrity sightings” as well as a full display of Holiday ‘06 collections from streetwear brands Quiksilver, Artful Dodger, Phenomenon, and Swagger.
Premium Goods drew a diverse crowd of streetwear superstars including the now famous Retro Kids (recently featured in the New York Times article, “For a Fresh Mix, The Retro Kids Hit Rewind”) who arrived dressed to the nines in their signature ‘80’s style. Black track jackets decorated with block colored paneling and flat tops that would make the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air blush were among the many fashion statements made that evening in addition to retro sneakers, colored denim, long gold pendants, and shrunken leather jackets topped off with vintage glasses frames and floppy bucket hats for good measure.
Also in attendance were Dee and Ricky, two Brooklyn-based designers known in the streetwear world for their coveted DIY belts made of iconic ‘80’s items including buttons from Nintendo controllers and Legos. Unlike the Retro Kids who take a more nostalgic route to fashion, Dee and Ricky opt for contemporary streetwear brands such as Billionaire Boys Club and aNYthing.
While these two streetwear crews represent polar opposites in urban fashion the majority of partygoers were dressed somewhere in between the two extremes. On women, colored straight leg jeans paired with colorful Nike sneakers were offset by vintage sweaters and knit caps, while delicate gold necklaces and bright purple make-up dressed up basic black. But it was menswear where the fashion was most exciting. American Apparel was a hit with their new straight leg slacks in bright colors as were New Era caps, Vans sneakers, fitted leather jackets and a vast array of vintage items. Hair has also made a comeback from flat tops to short and spiky dreads. Among women, soft waves and large curls were also popular.
As DJ Mel Debarge kept the party going with a variety of throwback tunes, attendees were invited to browse Holiday ‘06 collections from Quiksilver, Swagger, Phenomenon, and Artful Dodger. Highlights from Japanese streetwear brand Swagger included crystal encrusted denim and Eastpack backpacks, Mexican blanket-inspired all-over print hoodies and a collaboration parka with North Face that features the iconic logo embroidered in gold thread. Highlights from the Quiksilver collection included jackets and shirts featuring cult-worthy Maharishi-licensed camo print available only at Barneys and select boutiques.
Overall the party was a success as attendees lingered until the very last call and then jumped back on the train and headed home.
