The Look Book

Glenn Staley and Kyle Mingo, Party Promoters

"But those Afghanistan scarves are kind of hot, so I’m just taking it to the next level."

By Amy Larocca
Published Apr 23, 2006

(Photo: Jake Chessum)

How do you describe your style?
Staley: Urban B-boy, like in the eighties.
Mingo:It’s like a B-boy skater. I used to dress hip-hop style, but to me that’s not even style, really. It’s just watching the music videos and wearing what the rappers wear.

Where did you get these outfits?
Staley: The clothing is from Pharrell, the rapper. He has a brand called Ice Cream, and I got it at Union in Soho. And the sneakers are from the Michael K. store; that’s in Soho also. The bandanna is from Louis Vuitton.
Mingo: The shirt I’m wearing I got from my job at Brooklyn Industries. It’s inspired by a Muslim who’s looking for a kind of salvation because his family is poor. And then they’re regular Levi’s— I like hard denim, not too baggy—and sneakers from Kidrobot. I’ve got about 35 pairs of sneakers. The sunglasses I get from this guy at a flea market in Soho.

What’s up with the neck scarves?
Mingo: I’ve been wearing the Afghanistan ones that they wear in, like, Iraq for a while. I saw this movie from the eighties called Breakin’, and I got inspired from that, like Kid ’n Play and stuff. But those Afghanistan scarves are kind of hot, so I’m just taking it to the next level.

Why do you leave the size sticker on your hat?
Staley: Some people do that to show how new it is, but then they wear the hat every day. When we do it, it’s just to show that I don’t wear it every day. It’s like I’m saying I have so many hats I don’t even pay attention to whether the sticker’s still on there.

Where did you get your fronts done?
Staley: Right here, at the Fulton Mall, by a guy named Yuri. A lot of guys like fronts on all their teeth, but I’m proud of my teeth, so I didn’t want them all covered up.

What kind of parties do you promote?
Mingo: Dance-hall and reggae parties in Brooklyn. We’re looking to do some in Soho, too.

Is Brooklyn style different from Manhattan?
Mingo: Sometimes I feel like we don’t even belong here. People always stare at us like, What are they? Why do they look like that? But it’s originality. We look more like guys who belong in Manhattan.