Image via Complex Original
Finally, ComplexCon is just days away. While you may be busy plotting out your best fits or scheduling out what panels and performances you should attend, it’s important to also plan out what merch you should cop before anything else. ComplexCon has always been known for releasing some of the biggest drops of the year. This weekend, one should expect nothing less when it comes to the brands featured this year.
Verdy’s presence as the host of ComplexCon will be felt throughout the numerous collaborations being released by vendors this year. Los Angeles-based labels like Union will be repping their city proper through collaborations with brands like Fear of God and Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang. High fashion labels like Post Archive Faction, a Korean label shortlisted as a LVMH Prize Semifinalist last year, will even be releasing high-end wares at the event. Naturally, a number of Japanese labels will be well represented at the event this weekend. One of the biggest Japanese brands to arrive at ComplexCon this year is Jun Takahashi’s Undercover, which is set to drop special collaborative apparel with Verdy only at ComplexCon this weekend.
Check out details on where to cop all these big drops, and others from brands like Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream, Tombogo, and Vandy the Pink, below. Be sure to also check out the full list of brands at ComplexCon here.
Billionaire Boys Club/Icecream
Where To Buy It: Booth C10
Price: $25-$550
Billionaire Boys Club and Icecream’s spaceship-themed booth will certainly be a popular one at ComplexCon this weekend. Billionaire Boys Club will drop three special collections at ComplexCon first. One is a T-shirt made with Human Made that features a graphic print of one of Pharrell’s popular chains in a black colorway. Billionaire Boys Club’s Gold Capsule will also make its debut at ComplexCon. The collection will feature graphic T-shirts, hoodies, and skate decks with gold foil treatments. Lastly, BBC will roll out a gold astronaut sculpture designed by the artist Michael Kagan. Anyone who purchases items from BBC/Icecream’s booth will also be eligible to enter a raffle for select items.
Wade x Post Archive Faction
Where To Buy It: Booth D2
Price: $100-$300
Post Archive Faction (PAF) is a South Korean label conceived by Dongjoon Lim and Sookyo Jeong. Since launching in 2018, the brand has been known for its ingenious designs inspired by form and function. After being shortlisted as a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize last year, the brand is bringing a collaborative collection to ComplexCon with the virtual artist Wade. Titled ‘A Dream within A Dream,’ Wade’s first offline project will include a technical jacket, balaclava, and graphic T-shirts designed by PAF. Each piece is inspired by Wade’s water-colored skin. The jacket is certainly the standout piece from the drop, which includes wave-like cutouts along the surface of the jacket. Digital NFTs of the collaborative garments will also be dropped.
Union Los Angeles
Where to Buy It: Booth B48
Price: $55-$489
On the heels of its 30th anniversary, Union is set to drop a number of exciting collaborations at ComplexCon. Attendees can expect to find collaborations with Japanese labels such as Wasted Youth plus rising Los Angeles brands like Crenshaw Skate Club, I Don’t Have Good Days, and RRR123. Stay on the lookout for Union x Fear of God T-shirts, Union x Cactus Plant Flea Market merch, and a special collaboration with Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang.
CASETiFY Curated by Poggy
Where to Buy It: Booth B21
Price: $40-$102
Motofumi “Poggy” Kogi, better known as Poggy the Man, will be returning to ComplexCon this year with his own CASETiFY booth. The influential Japanese street style icon and United Arrows & Sons creative director will release a number of designer phone cases exclusively at ComplexCon. The lineup includes phone cases by Wildside Yohji Yamamoto, Yusuke Hanai, and The Black Eye Patch. An all-new collaboration with ComplexCon’s host, Verdy, will debut at the event.
Yeat Merch
Where To Buy It: Booth E45
Price: $50-$120
Complex’s most recent cover star Yeat will have his own presence at ComplexCon this year. Along with a limited run of a 32-page zine featuring the cover story, exclusive photos, and more surprises, Yeat’s loyal fanbase will also be able to score some exclusive merch. A hoodie, vintage-washed long sleeve T-shirt, and a face mask will all be available featuring the all-new Twizz Corp logo. Shmadonka.
Undercover
Where To Buy It: Booth B47
Price: $120-$2,550
Undercover, the globally revered Japanese fashion label by Jun Takahashi, will be present at ComplexCon for the very first time this year. Undercover’s drops this weekend are surely not ones to miss. One of the biggest collaborations to arrive at ComplexCon is Undercover’s collection with Verdy, which includes pieces made alongside Verdy’s labels Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry. T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, sweaters, and coaches jackets meshing Verdy’s graphics with Undercover’s aesthetic will be available. Additionally, Undercover will release a special colorway of a “Last Orgy 2” x Verdy varsity jacket made in collaboration with Human Made, a brand that will also have a booth at ComplexCon. Undercover’s beloved denim and other select pieces from the label will also be available.
Brain Dead
Where To Buy It: Brain Slam Wrestling Ring Activation
Price: TBD
Brain Dead is bringing its pro wrestling entity, Brain Slam Wrestling, to ComplexCon. Fans will get a chance to cop from a range of merch including T-shirts, hoodies, caps, and even foam fingers. Of course, there’s going to be some wrestling too. Wrestling fans can look forward to matches like Swerve Strickland vs. Komander and Kenta vs. Warhorse.
Tombogo
Where To Buy It: Booth C18
Price: $25-$400
Tombogo is set to drop its first pieces from its Fall/Winter 2022 collection at ComplexCon a week before its formal online release on Nov. 25. Pullover fleece hoodies with balaclava hoods, a puffer inspired by layers of soil, a quilted iteration of Tombogo’s popular double knee pants, and a “Hardwear” rain jacket are some of the standout products that will be sold at Bogo’s booth. Tombogo’s booth at ComplexCon will be difficult to miss because it will literally be spinning on an 8-foot turntable. The label will also be bringing more pairs of its popular Convertible Double Knee Cargos, shorts, parachute pants, cargo tote bags, bucket hats, socks, and limited edition T-shirts. Anyone who arrives at Tombogo’s booth wearing the brand will also receive a discount while shopping at their booth.
ComplexCon Gift Shop
Where To Buy It: ComplexCon Gift Shop
Price: $5-$7,000
Naturally, the one booth every attendee should consider stopping at is the ComplexCon Gift Shop, which is where a number of the most limited and hyped collaborations will be sold. Of course, ComplexCon T-shirts, hoodies, pins, mugs, jackets, and other merch designed by Verdy will be available. NIGO will also be releasing new merch to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Complex, which includes the debut of a lightweight jacket and ceramic Maneki-Neko statue. The ComplexCon Gift Shop will also stock exclusive merch like the Krink x Verdy paint marker set, a Dickie’s x Complex x Verdy jacket, a Super73 bicycle designed by Verdy, and a Polaroid x Verdy camera. Select collaborations from Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry will also be sold at the ComplexCon Gift Shop. Head over to the ComplexCon Gift Shop early because many items are bound to sell out.
Brands to Watch
Where To Buy It: Booth E61-E64
Price: $50-$350
Every year, ComplexCon hosts its Brands to Watch space, a curated area that highlights up-and-coming brands that we think you should be paying attention to. The four brands being showcased at this year’s festivities are Edgar Gonzelaz’s Andafterthat, Antoine Manning’s Homage Year, Sebastian Moraga and Roe Hodgson’s No Maintenance, and Spencer Badu’s eponymous label. Each brand will be offering its own unique assortment of goods for ComplexCon goers to check out.
Vandy The Pink
Where to Buy It: Booth C12
Price: $20-$200
ComplexCon regular Vandy the Pink returns to Long Beach once again with a brand new drop. Playing off of the fast-food theme that has become a signature of the brand, Vandy’s booth will be modeled after a drive-thru. It will be host to items like an exclusive T-shirt design from its collaboration with BBC Icecream, a new colorway of his Burger Shoes, multiple colorways of the brand new Vandy Trainer, plush toys, and more.
Spunge by Salehe Bembury
Where To Buy It: Booth B36
Price: $30-$300
Salehe Bembury will be making his ComplexCon debut this weekend to showcase his brand Spunge. Anyone who stops by the booth can expect a range of apparel such as pants covered in outdoors-inspired prints like cacti and Joshua trees, totes featuring the brand’s signature fingerprint motif, a vinyl figure made in collaboration with Union Los Angeles, and more. The highlight for many will be a chance to purchase all nine colorways of Bembury’s popular Crocs Pollex Clog. Exclusive T-shirts and hoodies that read “Humble” across the chest round out the offering.
Honor The Gift x Clot
Where to Buy It: Booth C23
Price: $65-$155
Since opening its first flagship store in Los Angeles earlier this year, Russell Westbrook’s Honor the Gift has been on an impressive streak. The latest example will be on display at ComplexCon this weekend, a collaborative capsule with Edison Chen’s Clot. The drop will consist of a T-shirt, hoodies, sweatpants, trucker cap, and tote bag. Each features hand-drawn co-branding accompanied by colorful bouquets of flowers. Handwritten messages from Westbrook also appear across each item. The imagery is meant to be a nod to the commonly used expression “giving someone their flowers.”
Midnight Studios
Where To Buy It: Booth B3 and B20
Price: $20-$300
After presenting at New York Fashion Week for the first time, Shane Gonzales of Midnight Studios is bringing his music-inspired label to two booths at ComplexCon. First up is Midnight Art Department, a new division of Midnight Studios that is centered on the founder’s favorite musicians, bands, artists, and films. Midnight Art Department’s booth will present the brand’s 10-piece capsule collection with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Gonazales’ second booth will be centered on Midnight Rave, the ’90s electronic music-inspired sub-label that was developed alongside ASAP Rocky. Midnight Rave’s booth will feature archival pieces from previous drops along with brand new collections making their debut at ComplexCon.
Jeff Hamilton
Where To Buy It: Booth A36
Price: $850-$6,000
Jeff Hamilton is bringing his iconic leather jackets to Long Beach. An assortment of new and archive styles will be available including Hamilton’s signature collage logo jackets for the NBA, NHL, and NFL. Additionally, there will also be a special edition leather jacket design honoring the late rapper Juice WRLD and tracksuits inspired by Hamilton’s blockletter varsity jackets in various colors.
WJW x Star Trak
Where to Buy It: Booth C13
Price: TBD
WJW, aka WhoJungWoo, will release a collaboration with The Neptunes-founded record label Star Trak this weekend. Their booth will include hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts, trucker caps, socks, and more. One of the standout piece to buy from WJW’s booth is a carpet that resembles a Star Track coach’s jacket.