An Arrondissement Named Brooklyn.

GROWING up in the Paris suburbs, David Obadia (at right in the photo) was obsessed with Air Jordans and the American street-wear brands Supreme and Stussy. His best friend, Nelson Hassan (at left), was more drawn to the avant-garde looks of Commes des Garcons and Raf Simons. No wonder, then, that upon graduation from business school and fashion school, respectively, they started their own label, Brooklyn We Go Hard, named for the Jay-Z song. ''We like everything about Brooklyn, including Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Dr. Brown's soda and the Nets,'' Mr. Obadia says. (They've both been there several times, he assures us.) ''Brooklyn brings together the mainstream and the underground, which is what we want to do with the clothes.'' Last year the label gained steam when the designers introduced a sweatshirt (about $140) with ''Brooklyn Parle Francais'' embroidered across the chest. It got picked up by Colette in Paris, and has been worn by Kid Cudi at the ''Hunger Games'' premiere, as well as Olivier Nakache, the director of the recent French box-office success ''Les Intouchables.'' (''Can you help us get the sweatshirt on Jay-Z or anyone from the Nets?'' Mr. Hassan asks.) They're showing their first full collection at the Paris men's Capsule show. TIM MURPHY [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]