CITY: Santa Barbara, CA

SINCE: 2008

FOUNDED BY: DJ Vice, Nick Sakai, Asaf Dimant, & Mark Lawrence

PRICES: $$$ (out of 5)

WHY WE COSIGN: It baffles us that in 2009, companies still don’t understand the importance of real-world and online synergy. Take sneaker boutiques for instance: Finding a dope sneaker shop is task in of itself. And harder still is finding an online store that stays stocked with the latest and doesn’t look like a GeoCities page. So when we discovered CRSVR, we knew we struck oil. This boutique’s owners understand the demand for exclusives and the need for a pleasing shopping experience. Sick brands matched with a sick in-store experience and a dope online design make for one helluva place to shop.

Meeting in ‘08 during a flight to Santa Barbara, DJ Vice and Nick Sakai immediately recognized their passion for sneakers and wasted no time setting up plans to open their own shop. Inspired by the culture they were very much a part of, these instant homies kept every aspect in mind when crafting the direction for the store. The shop features an in-house DJ to keep customers in the buying mood and a staff that has no problem answering your questions (no too-cool cocky types here). Also the lyrics to EPMD’s “Crossover” are written across the back wall, letting folks know that CRSVR will never sell out—unless your talking inventory. Zing!

BRANDS CARRIED: Nike, Supra, Five Four Clothing, Brixton, Ever Clothing, The Hundreds, Mishka, In4Mation, Orisue, Stussy, Future Heretics, Ransom Clothing, Fyasko Clothing, Dim Mak, G-Shock, and Nooka.

Read on for our interview with DJ Vice, pics of the store, and the address/web site…

MOST POPULAR ITEMS: DJ Vice: Nike Quickstrikes are hands down our most popular items. We’ve had customers camp out as long as six nights in front of the store to secure a spot in line to be the first to get their hands on these super-exclusive drops. Aside from them, our Future Heretics x CRSVR ‘I Uzi SB’ Collab is definitely next up.

Complex: What was the inspiration behind CRSVR, and how has it influenced the overall look and feel of your store?

DJ Vice: The concept for CRSVR was actually sparked on a flight to a DJ gig I had in Santa Barbara. During the flight I struck up a random conversation about sneakers with the passenger in the seat next to me. We chatted throughout the flight and upon landing decided we were going to open a sneaker store. About seven months later, CRSVR opened its doors. The store is definitely influenced by my DJ career, and also our own personal style. Growing up listening to and playing hip-hop, it was important for me to capture a piece of that lifestyle/culture. We try to nail the “dressed-up, dressed-down look” that is somewhere between streetwear and high fashion. Aside from that, my partner Nick and I are sneakerheads at heart. We both grew up wearing Nikes, Jordans, and Reebok Pumps. So to be able to open a boutique focused on sneakers is not only a hobby for us, but a passion that we’ve had since we were kids.

Complex: What are your retail plans for the future?

DJ Vice: We just launched our website, crsvr.com, which has been one of our biggest projects since we first opened our doors. We kept the concept of the site similar to the store: simple, clean and fresh. We have added a couple of pretty dope features that will hopefully make us stand out a bit from other sites. We focus on our blog, our shoes, and our music. I want people to be able get our latest shoes, and also be able to download my latest mixes too.

Complex: Any anticipated collaborations?

DJ Vice: We are currently working on a Halloween event with Orisue, and just wrapped a project with Future Heretics. Future Heretics was nice enough to do a collab tee for us that’s exclusive to the store and online. We are definitely open to the idea and anticipate the opportunity to work with a lot of the brands we carry.

Complex: What are the next trends in men’s style?

DJ Vice: The dressed-up streetwear look seems to be pretty popular. Everything is getting really clean. The streetwear brands are putting out cut-and-sew pieces that look like they could go in Barneys but the price points are staying true to their roots. If that continues to happen for the next five years, I wouldn’t be mad at all. The shoes are tough to predict. Every time I go to Nike to see the upcoming lines, they always surprise me with classic shoes I haven’t seen in 15 years, and some sort of new technology that reshapes the direction footwear is headed. They are an amazing company that is able to stay ahead of the game and create stories and product that influences a lot of the other brands out there, and we are extremely fortunate to be able to work so closely with them.

STORE INFO:
632 State St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.962.2400
Open 7 days a week, 10-8

CITY: NYC

SINCE: 1997 (Nooka)

FOUNDED BY: Matthew Waldman (Nooka)

PRICES: $$$ (out of 5)

WHY WE COSIGN: Artist and designer Matthew Waldmen founded Nooka on the concept of innovative and futuristic design. This summer, Nooka (like rag & bone, Robert Geller and Engineered Garments before it) is taking up occupancy at concept boutique Den. The temp shop will showcase the brand’s latest digital wristwatches, along with modern belts, wallets, and its debut fragrance.

BRANDS CARRIED: Nooka

We talked with Matthew about his inspirations and what lies ahead for his brand. See our interview, pics of the store, and address below…

Q&A WITH NOOKA FOUNDER, MATTHEW WALDMAN:
In what ways do you differentiate yourself as a brand and designer?
Most fashion brands develop their products to fit established categories. Nooka develops its products to express a philosophy – we create products that not just look great, they tell a story that seems to resonate more and more with people – an optimism for the future.

What is the creative process like at Nooka?
I always start with a writing session to establish a goal set for a design project. We then brainstorm and research much like any other professional creative lab. Then we sort out the results much like a math theorem to see which results support/promote the goals. Then we sort again on which solutions are “Nooka.” This process is repeated for tangents if necessary until happy. Then of course, the production concerns and marketing concerns are factored in and designs are tweaked, revised, or scrapped altogether!

What inspired you to create a fragrance for Nooka?
It’s been about four years since I launched Nooka Inc., and this has created the perception (understandably) that Nooka is a watch company. The true story is that the Nooka watches are the end-product of a design exploration of interface design and universal communication. To me, Nooka is and has always been a design lab and fashion house. I wanted to challenge myself to create new Nooka products that express these ideals, creating a mindstyle brand in the process. I have a personal obsession with fragrance and on further inspection, “scent” fits the core philosophy of global language.

In today’s economic climate, do you feel that versatile, accessible brands like Nooka can flourish?
I do. I think economic downturns are a great opportunity for small brands to grow. When larger brands contract, they leave a space (metaphorically and physically) for new ideas and new products. Moreover, the cost of doing business goes down, which helps start-ups and small brands like Nooka.

Your most recent collaboration with SpongeBob was a huge success. Can we expect more exciting collaborations in the near future?
Definitely. Collabs are the best way to meet new creatives and help each other with a win-win approach. I think it’s like when royal families married off their children to strengthen cultural bonds between countries.

Any plans to open a flagship store?
Not at the moment. I think we need to be much more well-known first. Until then, we do have this pop-up shop, and will recreate the experience for other cities around the world all year.

Looking ahead, what trends do you foresee in menswear?
I see the complete death of neckties and pleats.

What trend would you like to see go away?
I want to see pants back up—pubic hair and ass crack are parts of your body, not your wardrobe.

STORE INFO:
DEN
NOOKA
330 E. 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.475.0079
STORE HOURS:
Monday – Saturday: 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.

AGE: 23

OCCUPATION: B-boy/Actor

HOME BASE: Astoria

SUNGLASSES: Marc Jacobs

TANK: Vurt

SHORTS: Stüssy

SNEAKERS: Vans

WATCH: Nooka

What are you saving up for the summer? Some future investing.

What summer trend needs to die? Super deep V-necks.

What is your dream vacation? I travel for a living, so I have seen a ton of beautiful places. I would love to see Brazil.

What sneaker style are you rocking this season? I stick to my skateboard brands.

What is your summer drink? Cold glass of orange juice.

What inspires your style? Art, music and the weather.

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” below…

What city has the best style? NYC and Tokyo.

What movie best captures your style? Beat Street.

Who has wack style? Guys wearing capri shorts and people from down south.

What trend do you want to see die? Fake kicks!

Last clothing item you purchased? Supra TK Society.

Most money you ever spent on a single item of clothing? $400 Vintage Thriller jacket.

Favorite website? Kanye University.

What do you collect? Nike SB Dunks.

What is your favorite brand? Supra has the hottest shoes out right now and Nooka watches are next level.

What do chicks dig about your style? I’m originally from Florida so I got the Florida soul with the New York swag.

What’s the most common statement people make about your style? “Where did you get that?”

What do you see as the next big trend? Fat guys in skinny jeans.

What is your favorite city? Miami.

What is your dream job? I just got my Screen Actor’s Guild card so anything on the big screen!

Who is your dream date? Adriana Lima.

Last book read? The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

What is your trend proof style advice for our readers? Follow your heart! Don’t follow the charts.

Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a head-to-toe picture of yourself to: streetdetail@complex.com

AGE: 22

OCCUPATION: Model

HOME BASE: Brooklyn

SHIRT WORN AS HAT: Juicy Couture

SHIRT: Vintage

BLAZER: General Idea by Bumsuk

BELT: Vintage

WATCH: Nooka

DENIM: General Idea

SHOES: PF Flyers

What are you saving up for the summer? Future investments.

What summer trends have you seen? Capri pants and mohawks.

What is your dream vacation? A hotel stay underwater.

What’s your summer drink? Brooklyn. It’s what we call an Obama Hennessy.

What country has the best style? Japan.

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” below…

What movie best captures your style? The Matrix.

Who has wack style? Anthony Hamilton.

What trend do you want to see die? Timberlands in the summertime.

Last clothing item you purchased? Triple Five Soul shorts and a couple of fresh tees.

Most money you ever spent on a single item of clothing? The Juicy Couture shirt that I’m wearing on my head.

Favorite online shop? Karmaloop.com.

What do you collect? Produced beats.

What is your favorite brand? Y-3.

What do chicks dig about your style? They like my Nooka watch and think my look is fresh and appealing.

What’s the most common statement people make about your style? I was born a model and stand picture perfect.

What do you see as the next big trend? Japanese fashion.

What is your favorite city? Hollywood, but there isn’t anything like New York.

What is your dream job? Music producer or NBA player.

Who is your dream date? Jordan Richardson.

Last book read? There is More to the Secret: An Examination of Rhonda Byrne’s Bestselling Book “The Secret”, by Ed Gungor.

What is your trend-proof style advice for our readers? All you need is one shirt and a black tie.

Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a head-to-toe picture of yourself to: streetdetail@complex.com

Created by the founder of the EOS New York store, DIZTRICT in the West Village NYC houses all your favorite accessories brands. Themed to reflect the five boroughs, DIZTRICT offers brands that have a sleek and edgy design in a fun environment. “We chose the brands that sit together and hand-select the merchandise to build a story,” says Mukul Lalchandani, CEO of EOS offshoot Caseology. Lachandani, who also advises the MAGIC trade show on accessories, personally picks the timepieces to fit the NYC lifestyle for District.

Among the brands DIZTRICT carries are Diesel, EOS, G-Shock, Kidrobot, Modern Amusement, Nooka, STORM and Tokidoki. Check out store info and more images below…

DIZTRICT
259 Bleecker Street (at Cornelia Street)
212-627-8546

The ZON is available in black, white or mirror (gray). See below for close-ups of each colorway, Buy It Now information and details on Nooka’s special weekend sale…

NOOKA ZON WATCH
Click Here To Buy It Now At Nooka, $650

BLACK WITH LEATHER STRAP AND BUTTERFLY CLASP

MIRROR WITH STAINLESS STEEL MESH STRAP

WHITE WITH LEATHER STRAP AND BUTTERFLY CLASP

All Nooka watches'including the ZON and the recently featured Zub Zen'are 20% off on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the following retail locations:

NYC: DDC LAB, Meat Packing District, 427 West 14th Street, 212.414.5801
Miami: BASE, South Beach, 939 Lincoln Road, 305.531.4982
Atlanta: WISH, 447 Moreland Avenue, 404.880.0402
Houston: PEEL GALLERY, 4411 Montrose Blvd, 713.520.8122

Started by designer Matthew Waldman in 1999, Nooka is known for their futuristic watches that use linear and graphic representations of time, rather than the traditional clock or number-based designs. The Nookanooka is currently only available in black for $70, but it will be released in new colors like glow-in-the-dark in the coming months. See all the colors (sans watches) after the jump.

Glow In The Dark With Neon Orange Trim (Available September 2008):

Black With Silver Trim (Available Now):

All White (Available November 2008):

Neon Orange With Gray Trim (Available July 2008):

[Nookanooka via DesignNotes]