No invasion force is complete without the help of motley mercenaries -- the British enlisted the steel of the Hessians, and the Rebel Alliance enlisted the cape of Lando Calrissian. Rumbling (with cohorts) into LA: Upper Playground.

Upper's an SF-based streetwear line making its first SoCal foray via a 4-shop complex -- one for themselves, the rest for their peeps. The breakdown:Upper Playground: The main store stocks basics (shorts/pants/accessories), plus hoodies covered in everything from wide stripes to a collage of Renaissance religious art. Graphic tees include Jurassic Park variations on UP's Walrus logo, an Osama-Bush BFF mashup, and exclusive-to-LA numbers like a cartoonish map of city icons like the Roxy, Venice Beach, and...Van Nuys? Mr Cartoon: The UP-friend/venerable LA tattooist (he's inked Eminem & Beyonce) will be hosting guest artists, and selling "items and artifacts from his passions and hobbies" (Beanie Babies -- leave the tags on 4 Life). Estevan Oriol: This gritty photographer's selling prints, plus apparel festooned with his images of lingerie'd chicks, lowriders, and thuggish men from his Eastside neighborhood -- put your own likeness on a shirt, so when you run into the guy gracing yours you can merrily return the favor.

The fourth store'll constantly rotate with everything from rare motorcycles to promotional film tie-ins, starting with DeNiro/Pacino's Righteous Kill -- a movie whose success is guaranteed, thanks to the enlistment of 50 Cent, John Leguizamo, and the ultimate mercenary, Brian Dennehey.

Add this to My Thrillist

Check out the line at UpperPlayground.com