Event Recap: ComplexCon 2021
Images: @dvnielhermosillo for CNK Daily
Since the beginning of COVID life has changed tremendously. Part of that included large scale events becoming a thing of the past. One of those events to be reevaluated was ComplexCon, a groundbreaking festival that brings together pop culture, music, innovation, activism, education, and of course sneakers and streetwear. Last year's festivities took place virtually during a time in which online meetups were becoming the norm. This year the festivities were able to resume in person and we had the pleasure of attending with our good friends over at adidas to view their various installations that prove sneakers are so much more than what appears on the surface.
After a year of hiatus ComplexCon finally resurfaced to its in-person vibe and let’s just say that adidas did not come to play. When walking in, you are immediately drawn into the Lego x adidas installation that features two giant adidas Superstar’s constructed entirely of Lego’s. Taking over 2 days to build, no detail had been overlooked and the two builders were still working on putting final touches up until the day of the event. In addition, 5 creatives had the opportunity to create their own Superstar’s out of Lego’s. It reminded us that creativity knows no boundaries and gave us major nostalgia.
Following the theme of creativity and nostalgia. we visited Kerwin’s Kingdom, an all-encompassing installation that took a look at Kerwin Frost’s past creations and upcoming collaboration with adidas and 7-eleven (yes, 7-eleven). When walking in, only one thought popped into my mind: “Wow, this was the room I wish I had when I was younger.” For Kerwin, that was exactly the reasoning behind many of his creations. I had a chance to sit down with Kerwin Frost and him what inspired his out-of-the-box creations and for him, a lot of it stemmed from his childhood. He revealed to me that in his youth he often pushed the boundaries by ripping the patches off his school uniforms and giving authority the figurative middle finger. He yearned to put his vision into the universe in any way and when he was met with opposition it only fueled his creative spirit. He eventually got a pencil tattoo on his face as a testament to himself and the world that he would take the arts seriously and give it his all. Fast forward a year later and he is unveiling his second collaboration with adidas, proving that no childhood dream is far-fetched and that innovation knows no boundaries.
“When I got the pencil tattoo on my face, it was a testament to myself that I’m gonna take the arts seriously and give it my all every time.”
“Every one is focused on this idea of ‘lets look cool’ and trying to sell that but I think coming out of COVID people are sick of the charades. You just want to feel something and be inspired.”
As part of the installation, we were able to get a closer look at the Kerwin Frost x adidas Collection ahead of the November 17th release. The Kerwin Frost x adidas collection includes 12 piece collection includes both apparel and 2 sneaker options: the Kerwin Frost Forum Hi Humanchives and the Kerwin Frost Forum Lo Benchmate. The KF Forum Hi Humanchives has a molded nose-shaped lace jewel, a silicone mouth on the toe bumper, and Kerwin Frost branding on the ankle strap. The KF Forum Lo Benchmate is adorned with fun characters on the side that are meant to resemble those that Frost recalls seeing on the side of daycares in his childhood.
We then headed to the BBC x adidas booth for an up-close look at the upcoming NMD Hu drop. As a major Pharrell fan, this was a major moment and we were super excited to see what their next collaborative drop entailed. The next drop is set to include the NMD Hu with a gray upper and black embroidered running dog. In addition, the grass-covered booth had BBC and N.E.R.D merch for sale. As a VA native, I of course had to purchase a piece for myself.
As the event came to a close, we walked out feeling extremely grateful to be a part of a community that continues to evolve and show out. Streetwear and sneakers are in a constant cycle of reinvention and it's exciting to see what brands, both big and small, brought to the table. For an event that took a year off, the festivities this year made up for lost time.
A big shout out to our friends at adidas for an inside look at some of their upcoming drops. Be sure to follow adidas Originals HERE to get release information on the upcoming drops revealed at ComplexCon. Will CNK be at ComplexCon 2022? Count us in.