Fashion and Designers: Y2K Con?  

“Why is Y2K style still happening?!” I read the HighSnobiety article a few weeks ago about this cultural anomaly and it stuck with me enough to see the article’s main tenets everywhere at CactusCon. For context, Y2K could be best described as the digital futuristic revolution (or maybe apocalypse) that never happened… although with AI nowadays, who knows… regardless, Y2K had a critical impact on fashion especially in maximalist taste led fearlessly and courageously by Von Dutch, Juicy Couture, True Religion, Ed Hardy, et cetera.

An idea I’ll revisit later on as to why CactusCon was especially influential this year is the “hemline index”: a theory that suggests that hemlines (the lengths of womens’ skirts, or I’d like to even argue the riskiness of fashion as a whole) rise during economic growth and fall during recessions, reflecting the mood of the economy. Especially with the pandemic acting as a fertile petri dish for nurturing the Y2K obsession at a ridiculously fast rate, Y2K fashion could be a proxy for midriffs, skirts, and maximalist fashion as a reflection of sociopolitical discussion booming more than ever out of COVID. I’ll call it the “Y2K Index”. The hedonistic nostalgia of the 2000’s leaves us longing for a more carefree time, and looking for celebrities that encapsulate a veneer of glamor.

So, despite predictions Y2K would be another microtrend— because it’s not— it was present in every facet of ComplexCon reflecting the ushering in of a new post-election, post-COVID fashion space. Most notably, let’s look at what happened with Ken Carson and Ed Hardy. Surprisingly, Ken Carson at Con stepped up as the Y2K resurrection poster child for a generation-defining brand with generation-defining iconography. Hardy’s tattoo-inspired graphics on ridiculously maximalist and tacky tees with rhinestone embellishments might be the first thing that comes to mind of the brand but, in new-gen Ed Hardy, the Opium Hive has some influence too. You could see the white zip hoodie from this collab took the cake as a fan favorite, being worn by virtually half the crowd walking around the convention floor. The overwhelmingly positive reaction to this drop, including us writers as fans too, ushers in the new permutation of post-COVID Y2K. It’s actually kind of amazing to see something so defining of the 2000s melded with Opium’s peak 2020s rap futurism— super full circle. We’d give this one a 10/10.

If you remember Y2K, you must remember Oakley. Eyewear, footwear, and Travis Scott aficionados alike flocked to Oakley’s Con booth this year seeing that there was both Scott’s original Circus Maximus tour outfits and footwear from their Factory Team line hanging from the walls along with the exciting Oakley archive on display. From the Mars X Metal collection, the $15,000 (wow) Romeo and Juliet set made popular originally by Michael Jordan in the 90’s was up for grabs… and purchased by a lucky (...and wealthy) buyer. Along with the $15,000 sunglasses, Oakley’s MUZM Mars X-Metal Leather glasses, popularized by Brad Pitt’s character in iconic Fight Club, were sold at ComplexCon for another hefty pricetag. Oakley’s revival of the X Metal collection seems awfully timely today, blending science and art around the concept of "MARS" (Oakley Media), echoing the convention’s themes of future nostalgia. Oakley’s tap into 2000’s cultural sentiment was right on the mark for the rest of the convention’s theming, so we’d give this booth an A+.

I know you might be sick of hearing about Opium, but whether you like them or not, they were pervasive in really every aspect of this year’s Con. In addition to Ken Carson x Ed Hardy, we have one of the most coveted items of the entire weekend falling under the intergenerational synergy of Opium x Y2K: Pelle Pelle x Opium. Popular from the 70’s to the early 2000’s, Marc Buchanan’s Pelle Pelle gave the world their decked out leather jackets and bombers, quickly becoming one of hip-hop’s favorite brands. Even shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air took this popular Detroit style to the masses, and now it’s back again. Look at the 80’s R&B Pelle Pelle jacket: 40 years later, the brand’s history with music and blend into fashion has outlasted most other fashion trends. Thick black and white leather fabric with Opium callouts and nods to Atlanta adorn the jackets, as well as maybe a little Rick Owens influence with the velcro straps on one of them. This collab might be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. It certainly puts all the half-hearted, low-effort brand collabs of the past to shame… there is clearly time, thought, and elite attuned-ness to hip-hop culture put into these jackets. I would have paid the hefty entree fee to CactusCon just for these jackets alone… 1000/10.

With the Pelle Pelle jacket above and the jersey number emblazoned on the back of it, the “Carti Effect” was in full force at CactusCon, and it was realized not at a specific booth or a specific collab but in the crowd. How so? Attendees left and right were wearing backwards jerseys, a trend dating back at least three decades but recently revived in full force. Back in August, Playboi Carti put up Instagram photos of him in a ‘96 Iverson jersey… backwards. Then, a Hardaway jersey, and then custom “00” jerseys from several teams…backwards (re: the 00 Pelle Pelle jacket as a nod to this new Carti-catalyzed trend). As he latched onto this style, so did his fans. Dozens of Opium fans have left the Rick Owens-esque dark, gothic, subversives behind now for a Y2K backwards jersey and a durag, all popularized by their idol. Although influenced by Carti, the real credit should go to mid-90’s stars Kriss Kross who were famous for wearing their clothes backwards. Today, wearing a backwards jersey at ComplexCon was a subcultural signal: a subtle marker to other fans that you are part of the in-group, a cultural shorthand acting as a “password” to the Cartiverse. At this point, with Opium’s distribution of 2000’s culture across so many different channels, I’m starting to wonder if the convention was really more apt to be themed as OpiumCon or Y2KCon.

Sneakers: Our Favorite Drops and the SOTY

I think Travis Scott’s artistic influence really shone through when we started looking at the amazing shoe drops at CactusCon this year. Maybe to start off with the most random (yet unexpectedly cool) drop, two brands that I haven’t heard of in a few years popped up on the radar: Clarks x Pleasures. The dying-brick-and-mortar-hometown-mall shoe store collabing with a hype brand I hadn’t really seen around since pre-COVID wowed me with the army green (à la Travis Scott Cactus Jack) loafer sneaker they dropped together at the convention. At a reasonable price of $130, I think the shoe itself is cool and a nod to nostalgic better times in both music and streetwear.

Continuing on with the nostalgic cult classics of the past, Satoshi Nakamoto and Vans dropped a ComplexCon exclusive that was initially dropped at a not-bad $200… but only across 100 pairs. Respectively, the extremely limited supply has caused consequent bidding up to $2,000 for the coveted Old Skool Pearlized Port Royale reissue. $2,000 for some Old Skools is ironic, along with the hyped Clarks drop— who would have imagined these shoes and brands would drop such sought-after sneakers? I personally haven’t seen anyone wear Old Skools outside the skate park since probably middle school… (this is really becoming Y2KCon) however, the sneakers are interesting with the distressed rubber (and more sensical than Golden Gooses in my opinion) and could be a great revival point if we ever want to bring the iconic silhouette back in trend for the future. Tying Travis Scott back to this, these shoes would definitely be what a classic SoundCloud fan would be sporting back in the day… and maybe even now. Therefore, I think this was also a perfect thematic addition to the convention.

Takashi Murakami finally has a footwear brand, and it was on display at ComplexCon this year. The longtime convention attendee and extremely influential designer’s booth displayed his Ohana Hatake slides that are quintessential Murakami: bubbly, whimsical, and floral. These slides bring a breath of fresh air to the slide industry that we haven’t seen since the Yeezy slide era came and went. With the Yeezy slide craze, too, we never got to see such whimsical colorways that we could count on Murakami to bring to the game instead. Not only that, but the slides look extremely comfortable. This could be a purchase I can really get behind. Time will also tell if the slide craze will stand the test of being post-Yeezy… will it really sell? So far, half of the Ohana site is sold out so maybe Takashi Murakami will be next as the new slide heir.

Outlandish foam sneaker designs of old (in the context of current trends) continue to remain popular as well, with one of the most iconic silhouettes in this footwear subgenre getting an eye-catching new colorway. The Salehe Bembury x Crocs Pollex Clog received a glow-in-the-dark “Borealis” colorway, the release of which was exclusive to ComplexCon much to the disappointment of non-attending fans of the long-running collab (myself included). Countless colorways of the alienesque, fingerprint-inspired Croc spanning the entire color wheel have been released since the collection’s debut in 2021, but none have fascinated and captivated me more than the radiating glow of Borealis. The sustained popularity of this extended partnership between the former Yeezy designer and the iconic clog company reveals that the demand for experimental footwear designs that look straight out of sci-fi movies (see the Yeezy Foam Runner, Merrell Hydro Moc, and Brain Dead x Oakley Paguro) remains sky-high, meaning the trend of foam sneakers is here to stay. 

With direct influence from Con’s Artistic Director himself, the Travis Scott x Nike Zoom Field Jaxx also was previewed this year with a monumental exhibition to accompany it. Scott created a Cactus Colosseum to display a whole assortment of things: Cactus Jack x Nike artifacts from the past, a soccer jersey customization area, and of course, the launch of the Nike Zoom Field Jaxx. Naturally, the shoe is neutral as brown, tan, and cream are Scott’s namesake colors. Simplistic but elegant, I love the shoe and appreciated the preview as I can’t wait to check it out when it drops officially in January. Originally, though, the Jaxx made its debut at the MLB All-Star game back in July with only a select few that got to snag the “Sail” colorway. The one previewed at Con was the second iteration: “Light Chocolate”. Basically owning a whole color scheme attributable to your name should be explanatory enough how much influence Scott has on the sneaker realm. 

In a shock to the current footwear meta, dominated by Sambas, Timbs, mules, and everything Rick Owens, this year’s sneaker of the year panel chose the Adidas AE1 as 2024’s prime shoe. Yes, you read that right: a non-Nike basketball shoe won sneaker of the year in 2024. While that might be surprising, I think that the AE1 is more than fitting to represent this year’s class of sneaker drops. In an era where Nike’s Kobe, KD, and LeBron collections are past their prime, Adidas is singlehandedly keeping the performance basketball sneaker hype alive. The popularity of the AE1 has been driven by a hardcore marketing campaign from Adidas, blasting other NBA players’ boring and stale silhouettes and colorways. I think everyone can agree that Anthony Edwards is no KD or LeBron, but the commercials for the AE1 would have you believing that he, along with his sneaker, is the future of the league. The shoe, with its complex-looking (no pun intended) yet simply constructed TPU cage, reflects this notion of futurism. Thus, the AE1 stands out for its relevance in an increasingly irrelevant sector of the sneaker world. I have to agree with Complex’s headline from earlier this year: “Anthony Edwards Made Basketball Sneakers Feel Cool Again.”

Entertainment: Cactus x Opium Fan Solidarity 

At the convention, we had fashion influence from Playboi Carti and his entourage of artists like Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely… and we also had sneaker influence from Travis Scott and his respective entourage like Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, and more… but to be honest, there were likely a lot of fans just at Con to witness the musical melding of the most cultlike groups in rap. That’s what made this Con so busy (and so expensive to attend)– a Cactus fan is almost guaranteed to be an Opium fan in some capacity. 

On Day 1, the setlist reflected a culturally in-tune arrangement of artists. Whoever created the lineup deserves some credit. With F1lthy opening up the set, he positions himself as one of the most influential rappers and producers in forming Carti’s new sound that ultimately reflected his change of fashion in the past few years as well. Creating “Rockstar Made” for Carti in and of itself can be attributed to so many fashion and cultural phenomena stemming from Whole Lotta Red’s release. The “rockstar” era likely lends itself to most of the Y2K Opium boom we saw at all of the fashion booths this year. After that, Metro Boomin took charge on stage… although Metro has always been influential, this past year he was thrown even further into the spotlight with “BBL Drizzy” and the historical squabble with Kendrick Lamar and Drake. His contribution into that anomalous musical moment will live forever, as well as the countless classics he was able to play at Con this year that he produced many years before. Playboi Carti took stage at the end of this iconic lineup, and if you’re a new fan of Carti, you’d be in luck. His entire setlist was either unreleased snippets (like “WHAT’S MY NAME?”) or songs that are still fresh: "'H00DBYAIR,' '2024,' 'ALL RED,' 'EVILJ0RDAN,' 'Carnival.'”, etc. Selfishly, I’m glad we didn’t go only for the performance since I would have hoped he would have played some of his older songs. However, the mysterious and exclusive element of most of his newest drops on the setlist contributes exactly what the convention thematically needed. 

On Day 2, I would have loved to be there to see the genius of Mike Dean start this night off. Sometimes going unrecognized by newer fans, Dean’s contribution to some of the most legendary songs in hip-hop deserves far more recognition from pop media. Playing “Hold My Liquor” and “Pray 4 Love” would have been the perfect primer as a fan to witness what the rest of the night would offer. After Mike Dean, Don Toliver and Sheck Wes took stage playing their usual setlist with nothing notable, in my opinion. Finally, when Travis Scott took stage, as a fan I’d definitely be excited to hear something that would revive some newer, less-performed songs after Sheck Wes’ usual set. Scott did indeed deliver as he performed some Owl Pharoah throwbacks like “Upper Echelon” and the usual Days Before Rodeo revivals… even throwing in “Mo City Flexologist” as kind of a surprise to me on its 10 year anniversary. The set surprisingly wasn’t too Utopia-heavy which might have been a dismay to some fans, but for me, I think it was a great creative decision to tap into the musical nostalgia that would appeal to the dedicated fans making the commute to Vegas, and the same fans who’d love the Y2K revival he spearheaded at his convention. 

Final Review

Aptly nicknamed “CactusCon,” ComplexCon this year was a cultural and creative “hotspot” (as a TikTok user dubbed) that perfectly encapsulated where fashion, music, and youth culture stand heading into 2025. From the Y2K revival dominating fashion booths to the cult classic performances by Travis Scott and Opium, the convention felt like a celebration of 2000’s to 2010’s nostalgia reimagined for 2024. I dubbed the “Y2K Index” as a powerful lens to interpret not just fashion trends but broader cultural shifts, with maximalism and risk-taking reflecting our post-pandemic and post-election hunger for expression and creativity amidst darker times. As 2024 closes, I can subjectively say (since I wasn’t there) that ComplexCon exceeded its expectations for its Vegas debut this year. For next year, it will certainly be hard to top the amount of fanfare, celebrity appearances, and pioneering brand drops that occurred at ComplexCon 2024.