Thousands of fans dripping in the latest streetwear fashion arriving to take party in the third annual ComplexCon

Written By | Esteban Valadez

Thousands of fans dripping in the latest streetwear fashion arriving to take part in the third annual ComplexCon on Saturday, November 3rd at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Complexcon is a two-day convention and festival focusing on the empowerment of hip-hop culture, pop culture, music, art, food, style, sports, innovation, activism, and education. Simultaneously, bringing the world of Complex to life. This year’s convention was another success. Majority of attendees were in high spirits, meeting some of their favorite influencers such as Michael B. Jordan, Karen Civil, Trinidad James, Pusha T and Jaden Smith to name a few. I had the opportunity to fly out to Los Angeles for the weekend to attend the first day of the two day event.

Most of the attendants at Complexcon came with their most expensive streetwear fashion clothing with silk from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Supreme, Bape, Off-White and many more with jewelry riddled around their necks and body. Everyone kept moving at a steady pace, not once was I stuck in a group of bystanders at the convention. Every panel and shop had its own unique aesthetic and gimmick, which felt positively overwhelming browsing around different booths. Having a variety of panels made the experience much more exciting. I tried focusing on my surroundings as much as possible because a quick distraction might have me miss a celebrity. While I was shopping at one of the booths, Bella Thorne casually walks by angelic-like while being surrounded by tall, iron-like security guards. One of the highlights was not knowing who was at the convention with me. It felt like I was hunting Pokemon like on the app Pokemon Go. Some celebrities had immense crowds around them, while others didn’t. It was all about luck and finding them at the right time. This method of being patient is how I managed to snap a photograph of Trinidad James and other celebrities.

I was walking away from the tattoo booth when suddenly I recognized Trinidad James, a successful Trinidadian-American rapper, by the booth in front of me. When approaching him, I respectfully ask if I can snap a photo of us. He humbly agreed. Trinidad James even asked where I got my tattoo from, and complimented my choice of body art. As we split ways, I turn around and notice him do a quick interview with several small upcoming YouTubers. Trinidad James’ humble nature quickly reminded me that celebrities are just like me, human.

2018’s Complexcon had many surprise shoe drops, celebrity guests, and panels to explore. For the cost of attendance, I was satisfied with my Complexcon experience and highly encourage those with an interest in hip-hop culture, streetwear fashion and other art.

See More Photos of 2018 ComplexCon Here.