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MyspaceRE-CAP: SUMMER 2008 MAGIC CONVENTION
September 23rd, 2008 | Written by: Kel Published in Fashion, Re-cap
MAGIC, THE PREMIER SHOWING FOR URBAN FASHION… AND THEN SOME.
For three days, twice a year, the Las Vegas Convention center is home to booths from dope clothing lines you haven’t heard of yet (Amongst Friends), lines you wish you’ve never heard of (Yums), companies you forgot existed (Mecca?!), as well as your favorite brands like Crooks & Castles and King Stampede. Now lest we forget we’re in Vegas, beside quality and design, everyone’s biggest concern seems to be, “How big is yours?“
How big is your booth, that is. Its a proverbial “penis” game to see who’s got the bank to stunt the hardest. Newbie’s flash their funds with elaborate setups, fly models and even celebrity endorsements, while the big dogs like LRG and Baby Phat stick out with exclusive, by-appointment-only booths, that are bigger than most boutiques. But it isn’t only commercial brands going that hard. “Streetwear” brands like The Hundreds went in with a huge all-black booth, their signature Adam Bomb logo stamped on the top and Disney inspired characters resembling The Hundreds kids themselves decorating the outside. If you believe whispers heard on the convention floor, The Hundreds have collaborated with Disney to produce some limited edition Tee’s and Fitteds slated to drop next spring. While most of the other streetwear lines are collaborating with each other, The Hundreds have taken that next step in working with a major corporate entity, an enormous move for a company that already claims itself to be huge.
Still, the most magical thing about Magic isn’t the convention at all, but rather the parties. Star studded and invite-only, the corresponding nightlife centers around brands celebrating their success. For parties that would make Diddy proud, brands rent out luxury penthouses, link up with liquor sponsors and pretty much ball out like The Celtics’ last season. One of the more extravagant parties of the week was hosted by Crooks & Castles at the Hugh Hefner Playboy suite in the Palms Hotel, with bartenders, models and select guests receiving Crooks x Playboy collaborative tees printed up specifically for the occasion. A close second would have to have been the Antenna Magazine/Tanqueray party, held atop the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in a penthouse suite that doubles as Vegas‘ “Club Mixx”. Whether the critics are right and Magic has indeed lost its luster, as long as it calls Vegas home, fashion week in Sin City will always have more than a few (Magic) tricks up its sleeve.
*This article, edited by: Flip A. Bird
**B&W photos courtesy of villageslum.com
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