Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to pick up Complex’s August/September Style & Design issue (you know, the one with Kid Cudi and Keri Hilson on the cover) by now. To bring some extra sex appeal to the magazine, we asked some of our favorite artists—including Hush, Mike Perry, Bill McMullen, Mint & Serf and Complex founder Marc Ecko (his creation is pictured above)—to creative direct a photo shoot with a sexy model. We’ve been rolling out the results over the last month in our “Model Monday” column, but we’ve finally collected all the collaborations in one gallery for your viewing pleasure. Hit the link below or keep reading for a behind-the-scenes video from Marc Ecko’s shoot.
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Bag by Jack Spade; Shoes by Mark McNairy
Putting together a more sophisticated wardrobe isn’t nearly as daunting as it may seem. To start out, all you really need to do is invest in a few basic essentials. For the times when a t-shirt and dunks aren’t the look, you would be doing yourself a great service by copping a couple of the staple items needed for a more formal look. We’re not talking three-piece suits here: we’re talking about an outfit that you can rock to a nice dinner or when you go to meet your girl’s parents. In our 2009 Style & Design package we highlighted the Jack Spade Leather Supply Brief and the Mark McNairy Chukka Boot (pictured above) as two items that can hold down any refined wardrobe. We picked out 10 more items to really help you start putting your new look together…
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When the Great Depression ended, it wasn’t because of bailouts, but because of effort. We built a new country out of sweat equity, and the clothes we did it in were built for the long run: hardy fabrics, reinforced seams, and everything put together with deference to the way a body moves. And while the value of honest workwear never went away, today more than ever we appreciate the idea of pulling ourselves out of a rut.
Whether it’s classics like Woolrich and Levi’s or modern interpretations like PRPS and Engineered Garments, American style is form and function. No preppy entitlement here, kids; before the yacht clubs and golf shirts, “Americana” meant little more than dependable jeans and self-respect. As a companion to the article in our 2009 Style & Design special, we chose six brands who are keeping the real American aesthetic alive…
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Illustration by Sophia Chang
Although you’ve probably dropped major paper at Supreme in the last few years, you might not have known the man behind the clothing. Don’t get it confused though, Brendon Babenzien’s resume doesn’t start and end with Supreme. Babenzien is also the creator of impressive clothing labels like Aprix and Noah. Yeah, he knows what he’s doing. Because we’re into looking forward, we tapped Babenzien to give us his trend predictions for the coming year in the annual Style & Design special from our latest issue. Check out the extended online cut below…
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For the last month, we’ve been highlighting pieces from our annual Style & Design magazine special, your cultural cheat sheet for 2009 and beyond. As part of the “Fashion” section, we selected five designers to watch next season, from emerging brands to an unexpected preppy classic. Check out our picks below…
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Each Monday in August, we’ve been hitting you with a collaboration between an artist and a sexy model from our annual Style & Design Issue—Ming x Bill McMullen, Melody x Hush, and Pearl x Mike Perry. This week, we’re unleashing our final collabo (which represents the “Fashion” section of our Style & Design package), a shot of sexy Russian model Olga Akhunova, with creative direction by NYC graffiti duo Mint & Serf. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below to see how it all came together, then read on for an interview with Olga…
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You’ve seen the amazing art from our Keri Hilson cover story (catch up!), but do you know the artist behind the eye-popping work? Over the last few years, French artist/designer So-Me has crossed over into the U.S. market in a major way, thanks to his work on music videos for Kanye West (“The Good Life”) and Kid Cudi (“Day N’ Nite”).
When it came time to recruit an artist to help create the cover of our annual Style & Design issue, So-Me was at the top of our list. The man’s also in high-demand overseas, providing art direction for Ed Banger Records (Justice, Uffie) and designing for his clothing brand Cool Cats, so we were honored that he took the time to make Miss Keri look even better. Check out a quick interview we did with the elusive artist about his Complex collaboration …
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Your phone knows your schedule better than you do, but it can’t offer the joy of crossing an item off your to-do list. For that, we go analog. Japan is churning out colors, nib sizes, and designs that make writing more fun than wireless synching. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a Bic RoundStic (ayo!) when you need to jot something down, but once you get a look at some of our favorites (all available at our go-spot, JetPens), you’ll be well on your way to becoming a kingpin of the ink pen…
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Alas, NOT one of the bikes reviewed in our round-up.
In case you hadn’t heard, there’s been this little global financial meltdown going on, so you’re not getting another Hummer for your birthday this year. It’s a good thing, then, that self-propelled locomotion is the move in ’09. From high-end hipster stylings (Freeman Transport’s collapsible fixies) to commuter revolutions (bike-sharing programs in D.C., Denver, Tucson, and elsewhere), America is figuring out what the world’s known for years: Bicycles are a great way to get around when polar bears are doing the backstroke and wars for oil aren’t as fun as they used to be. See below for 5 Great New Bikes For Any Style…
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Creative Direction By Mike Perry; Photography By Matt Doyle
Remember this name: Pearl Veldwijk. Complex has featured the model in the past, but now she’s heating up our annual Style and Design Issue. We paired the Dutch model with Brooklyn artist Mike Perry for an artsy shot that represents the “Living” portion of our Style & Design 2009 package, and the result is so dope that you’re probably going to want to hang it up in your cubicle or dorm room. Check out the Making Of Video with Mike Perry below, then get to know Pearl better with a quick interview and a selection of her hottest pics…
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