Complex has long established itself as a bastion of streetwise creativity, art, and design. ComplexCon in the US is an annual ritual for streetwear, music, and design mavens to all come together and see what’s fresh and new. ComplexCon Hong Kong, in its second edition, was no different, and it included many of the big international names you might expect - but with a decided Asian spice. From the big boys, like Takashi Murakami and Ohana Hatake, Futura, and Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club, to newcomers like MC Jin and his brand-new Regular clothing line, the Marketplace was a visual trip not to be missed.
Building on last year’s success, ComplexConHK featured over 140 brands from all over the world, with 40 musicians and groups and 400 creators all in the same space - many of them celebrities in their own rights. Established entities like the NBA created a buzz by beginning in real hardwood and setting up a half court for event goers to shoot hoops while HK pop stars MIRROR showed up to represent on the court. Meanwhile, Pigeons and Planes added a runway for their own show, and they took over the live stage for a DJ set by Indonesian Hip Hop queen RAMENGVRL.
Asian Pop culture was on display all over the marketplace. Hong Kong streetwear pioneers CLOT had the biggest booth right in the middle of the event, showcasing a new drop with Adidas. The crowds queued up for hours just to get a selfie [and buy a pair] with founder and creative director Edison Chen. Many languages were heard all weekend, but when it came to buying coveted drops the predominant one was Mandarin, as a large contingent of Mainland Chinese hit the city to celebrate hip Pop culture’s preeminent get together.
There were also some excellent creative panels, discussing everything from GOAT Talk [with Hiroshi Fujiwara, Stephen Fung, and Tony Wu] to Going International with a who’s who of Asian rappers. Host Ray could hardly keep the mic with a lively panel that included MC Jin, DJ Virman [Far East Movement], China’s GALI, and RAMENGVRL. At night, the live stage was blessed by international stars Quavo and Metro Boomin, plus Korean rappers ZICO, Sik-K and the city went mad on Sunday night as K-Poppers descended on Asia World Arena for the hottest group in the genre, NJZ [New Jeans].
Overall, it’s safe to say that ComplexCon Hong Kong is a new epicenter of cool for the whole region and it should continue to have a tsunami-like ripple effect all over Asia.
