Five Highlights From the 'What's Next for Streetwear?' Panel at ComplexCon

Streetwear is a word that means many different things to many different people. For that reason, it's always a bit challenging to forecast where streetwear will go next. 

Gone are the days where streetwear was just a niche community spotlighting graffiti and hip-hop through graphic T-shirts and hoodies. While those elements are still at the core of the equation, now it's a multi-billion dollar industry. Streetwear has infiltrated the runways of major fashion houses, the aisles of your local supermarket, and beyond. 

"Every kind of product is invoked in streetwear, not just clothes," says model and Marking Distance founder Luka Sabbat.

At ComplexCon 2023, Aria Hughes sat down with Sabbat, Come Tees founder Sonya Sombreuil, and Holiday founder Nick Holiday for a ComplexCon(versation) to get their thoughts on the current state of the industry. In case you weren't able to make it out to Long Beach this weekend, check out some highlights below. 

A conversation cannot be had about streetwear's current era without mentioning the late Virgil Abloh. Sabbat prefaced his response by saying that talking about Abloh is a sensitive subject for him, but he did provide some insight into what seeing Abloh accomplish with Louis Vuitton did for him. 

"He was making music, clothes, bags, it was cool because it was inspiring to see a person I can relate to treating this like his home," says Sabbat when discussing Abloh's tenure at Louis Vuitton. "I was like, 'Wow, this is sick.' I could see that being the end goal, getting a position like that and going about it in a very humble and inviting fashion. Sometimes high fashion can be extremely pretentious. Virgil wasn't that at all."

Sabbat talked a bit about his new brand, Marking Distance, during the panel. Marking Distance also had its own presence on the ComplexCon convention floor, a booth made to look like a living room that became a popular spot for Sabbat and his peers to congregate throughout the two-day event.  

The brand isn't starting where many do by simply making a logo T-shirt and leaning into graphics. Instead, Sabbat is using his years of learnings to create a more high quality offering. 

"I've been doing this my whole life," says Sabbat. "I wasn't into sports. My mom was showing me [Alexander] McQueen collections as a kid." 

Sabbat and his brand partner James Pierce are aiming to create items that can live in your closet for a long time. Unlike other brands, it won't be necessary to wear a Marking Distance uniform. The pieces can easily be added to what you already have in your current wardrobe. 

"We want to make pieces, things you can wear for a long time with things you already own. You don't have to be in head-to-toe Marking Distance," says Sabbat. "Things should age like wine, not like milk."

Sombreuil's Come Tees is a successful brand based on many metrics. Its tops and bottoms covered in original artwork by Sombreuil have captured the attention of stars like Rihanna and collaborators like Cactus Plant Flea Market (did you grab a T-shirt or hood at ComplexCon like I did?), but Sombreuil says that the brand's journey hasn't been without its challenges. Come Tees was started partially as a way just for Sombreuil to get her art into the world. She acknowledges that the results aren't always for everyone.

"I started making clothes because I had no path to be in the art world. I was into making merch for my friends," says Sombreuil. "I have a passion for making clothes that don't always speak to everybody. I like to make these loud, intense pieces."

When Holiday was starting out, he would steal blank hoodies from Walmart, draw on them, and sell them online. While Holiday isn't exactly encouraging young designers to shoplift to get their ideas off the ground, the general line of thinking that led him to snatch some clothing from his local Walmart still apply. 

"Make it work, no matter the tools. If you don't have Photoshop, use other tools. Gimp is free. It's really shitty, but just as good," says Holiday. "If you're determined, you'll do it and not let anything get in the way."

The most interesting part of streetwear will undoubtedly continue to be how it evolves. When speaking about Complex's Streetwear Power Ranking, Sabbat notes how broad the term has become. Individuals like FTP founder Zac Clark and Asspizza, streetwear designers who have each built successful brands in their own right, were mentioned as some notable omissions that the panel felt were deserving of a spot on the list. 

"There's different consumers. Travis Scott fans didn't grow up on Supreme. Depending on who you ask, Travis is more important than James [Jebbia]," says Sabbat when discussing the ranking. "Power is subjective. We aren't all likeminded."

Each panelist also provided their thoughts on what they want to see from streetwear in the near future.

"America is the epicenter. There's Japan and London. It needs to broaden to kids all over the world. We should put the spotlight on them," says Sabbat. "They have different stories and influences. Things would seem so fresh since we're unfamiliar."

Holiday just wants to "see kids do weird shit" and fully express themselves creatively. 

For Sombreuil, she hope that the community can curb some of the oversaturation.

 "There's too many [collaborations]. I mean, there's too much of everything in the world, but I think the novelty and ingenuity of collabs is failing a bit. It's all highly commercial," says Sombreuil. "Focus more on values and quality."