Crooks & Castles' Collection- The Art of Sampling

Crooks & Castles is... Actually, I'll just let them explain who they are and the meaning behind the name. Here it is in their own words:

"Crooks", criminals, pimps, hustlers, thieves, etc. And "Castles" those who got rich by becoming a crook. From the robber barons of the early times like the Vanderbilt's, the Rockefeller's, the Carnegie's to the modern day billionaires - Bill Gates & Microsoft. Those who stopped at nothing to get their "Castle".We too hope one day to be the next rich crook. In some of our designs you might see a familiar icon or logo that we took (stole) and gave it our own twist. We felt that some high fashion brands only catered to someone in a certain lifestyle or with a rather large bank account. Therefore we took what they made and crafted it to fit ours.

Holding true to classic hip-hop form, Crooks have borrowed from elsewhere and made it their own - just like rap artists who have borrowed (sampled) beats and add their own lyrics. After reading what they were about on their site Crooks & Castles I was sold on the brand. Hip-hop artist seem to have much love for the brand. Memphis Bleek was caught rockin' a Crooks T on stage at the Palladium during the Jay-Z concert (where DJ AM made his post-accident live comeback).


The classic play of Versace's Medusa is probably my favorite print they do. I am loving the bandanna made of roses in the picture above (female T). The brand started off doing silk screen prints but is now expanding and collaborating with other brands to create a larger scale of products. Check out the rest of the collection at Crooks & Castles' official site, and in the meantime, catch this collaboration they did with Mosley Tribe (the eyewear company) to create these cool shades, the Castellano's: