A 13-year-old designer will be making moves at ComplexCon 2026, as we’ve surprised him with his very own booth.
@DesignsByLeaf, who should soon be topping 20,000 followers on his parent-managed Instagram account, previously sent Complex a handwritten letter asking us to give his IG a look, with the hopes of being added to a future ComplexCon lineup.
“I want to make this my career,” Leaf wrote in the letter. “I want to work for myself and have joy with working. I also want to express myself with my art and the clothes that I make. I have always been so into good quality brands, but whenever I would go into those stores, they would never fit me because I am just a kid. So that’s another reason I started, because I want to wear sick clothes. Fashion is literally everything to me.”
Complex’s Izzy Izzo later connected with Leaf on a call, surprising him with the news that he would indeed be getting his own booth at this year’s ComplexCon. During the conversation, Leaf cited KidSuper and Takashi Murakami among his biggest inspirations before being met with the big news.
“This is my dream,” the young designer said. “This is my full-on dream. Everyone there loves fashion and art and stuff like that. I can show everyone what I can do. … I’m so ready. I just wanna say that it’s just crazy that if you love to do something, no matter how good or bad you are, it can work.”
ComplexCon, marking its 10th anniversary, hits Los Angeles on Oct. 3 and 4 for its 2026 edition. Artistic direction is handled by Playboi Carti and Hiroshi Fujiwara this year, with Carti also set to take the stage for a headlining performance. He’s joined on the music lineup by Ken Carson, HXG, ApolloRed1, Destroy Lonely, and F1lthy.
