Style Recon

East meets West as Complex goes trendspotting with the L.A. denim gurus behind CORPUS and a New York City BRANDING EXPERT.


WHERE: Los Angeles WHO: Keith Richardson, Jerrod Cornish AGES: 33, 28 Denim brands: Levi's, A.P.C., Tsubi, Cloak; big-ups to Earnest Sewn for its true premium quality; and last but not least, CORPUS. Sneakers: Vintage Vans high-tops, old-school throwbacks like Swear, and 1963 Lacostes that we find at one-off shoe shops. Classic trousers: Kim Jones, Ralph Lauren, old-school Marc Jacobs-even though we're the same age. Shops: Fred Segal, Ron Herman on Melrose; Scout for their killer collections of Surface to Air, Rogues Gallery, Clu, and NOM*D. "Underground" boutique: Carve on Fourth & Main. The sneaker shop in front is a genius distraction for their secret "meat locker" in back, with 25-foot-high ceilings and stacks of Margiela. Restaurants: The Bridge on La Cienega Boulevard, Magnolia on Vine & Sunset, Lucy's El Adobe Café for awesome Mexican food. Tech gadgets: Pocket PC, BlackBerry, Sony digi cameras; for gaming Xbox 360, PSP, waiting for PlayStation 3… Rides: Tricked-out BMW and Audi wagons-it's like the crossover soccer mom gone crazy. The trend ready for burial: Highly commercialized style. Richardson and Cornish are co-founders of the L.A.-based denim brand CORPUS.



WHERE: New York WHO: Chris White AGE: 36 Denim brands: For fit and wash, Earnest Sewn; Nudie Jeans Co. Sneakers: adidas Originals, Creative Recreation, vintage Nikes, and the staple-Air Force 1s. Keeping it swanky: When I need to show and prove, I'll drop by the Alexander McQueen shop in the Meatpacking District or hit up Margiela on Greenwich Street. Shops: James Perse; Union for limited-edition Nikes; Marc Jacobs on Mercer; and Nom de Guerre. "Ready for takeover" boutique: My boy Dao-Yi's opening Arrive New York in early '07, so definitely be on the lookout for that! Nightspots: 60 Thompson's rooftop lounge and the bar at Hotel Rivington are great for keeping it cool and sophisticated, but there's also Cain and Stereo for when you wanna turn up the volume. Restaurants: Bayou on Lenox Avenue and Buddakan for East Asian–influenced cuisine; Coffee Shop, for the classic NYC eatery. Rides: The Hummer H2 keeps you moving in this big city. The trend ready for burial: Dudes wearing flip-flops with jeans. They're great for the beach, but any other time just say no! White is the president of Project 2050, a full-service lifestyle marketing and branding agency.