Hood By Air Takes Over Selfridges for a Party That Celebrates Apocalyptic Rollerskating

Shayne Oliver and Co. have already slayed the party competition.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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London Collection: Men kicked off yesterday with some very dope collections highlighted by Craig Green and Richard Nicoll, but the true main event was thrown later in the night in the parking garage of the venerable Selfridges by Shayne Oliver, Creative Director of Hood By Air, and was attended by editors and all the Hood by Air fans of London alike. The madmen behind HBA literally built a skatepark in the garage of the 104-year-old store, and dudes in old-school rollerskates pumped up and down a halfpipe as everyone else chugged drinks and thrashed out to thumping DJ sets by #Been #Trill, and Shayne himself.  

The event was ostensibly to highlight the capsule collection between Hood by Air and Corgi, as well as preview HBA's SS14 collection and celebrate the brand's first foray into the UK via Selfridges. But it seemed like the real reason everyone showed up to the private party was to vibe with their fellow street goths in town. "HBA," was plastered on clothes all over the place, and dudes couldn't stop pulling down and adjusting their skirts so that their layering game was optimally on point. 

The dance floor flooded when Shayne threw on Chief Keef's "Hold My Liquor" vocals from Yeezus, and the rollerskaters started going nuts and whirlwinding around each other on the ramp. When a man in a color-blocked thobe, the Muslim-style garment, started trap-dancing on a kicker ramp, my straight-laced Canadian friend who had never been to a fashion industry event turned to me wide-eyed and told me this was the most interesting night he'd ever had in the past year he's lived in London. That point seemed like a good one to bounce, so we walked home along Oxford Street, following a group of young go-hards, including a dude in a Hood by Air hoodie who had numerous facial tattoos and HBA stenciled across the bottom of his skateboard.

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