Crooks & Castles: From The Street to the Palace

Article written by: Andre Sanchez
Posted on: May 11, 2009

My first introduction to the apparel brand Crooks & Castles was probably in 2006. Something about their color schemes did intrigue me, but the concepts didn’t always catch my eye, and probably at times I confused it with Coogi. Nevertheless, stars from the world of hip hop and beyond have embraced Crooks & Castles since their inception in 2002, fresh out of Los Angeles.

Embracing not only the styles but values of underground culture, Crooks & Castles have continued in their focus to directly reflect the LA street lifestyle, while giving tribute to East Coast sentiments as well. From the subtle nods to Mobb Deep lyric references (“ain’t no such things as halfway crooks”) to gaining massive popularity after Jay-Z was seen sporting one of their shirts while out with Beyonce, their “guns and wealth” aesthetic has fared well with the underground streetwear crowd as well as A-list celebrities.

Crooks has gotten some heat in recent years for re-using their well-known themes of Medusa, nautica and chain graphics excessively. I understand this sentiment but I also know that the designers are taking a classic approach on clothing lines: investing in a popular identity which allows them to create lightly branded pieces that are immediately identifiable to consumers.

Some exclusives from the Crooks & Castles spring 2009 collection:

See a pattern here?

In your opinion, is preppy still in?

Founded by Dennis Calvero (co-founder, creative director) and Emil Soriano (design director of apparel), Crooks was an expression of the duo’s culture, personal experiences and their passion. Fascinated by the healthy saturation of American fashion and the individual styles of New York, Dennis moved to the east to broaden his craft. After a hiatus the team relaunched Crooks in 2004 with the help from Hawaii’s in4mation and 5&aDime distribution.

Crooks & Castles has an M.O. of showing love to the artists who support them, such as underground rapper Diz Gabran. Crooks promoted his album “Soon You’ll Understand” and even released an exclusive shirt.

Here’s a few of my favorites from their lookbook.

Regardless of the season, I love jackets. Having something that is classy and turns heads never goes out.  Crooks and Castles Crossbones Jacket ($129.00)

And for the warmer months, This pullover is sure to hold you down for a cool minute:

Crooks and Castles Chain Stripe Pullover ($66.00)

Crooks and Castles Gingham Plaid ($79.00)

In the beginning stages of the recession, I wondered how the streetwear industry would be affected. Crooks is among the elite when it comes to west coast streetwear culture, so to see them and others like Huf, The Hundreds, and others continue to flourish makes me optimistic for the seasons to come. Crooks has a retail flagship store on Melrose Ave in an affluent West Hollywood neighborhood; we’re sure they’ll be fine. It’s only up from here… Crooklyn Style!