“It’s like a second coming of the band for our band.” In the wake of 13 years of silence and a short absence, Mikey Trapstar finally feels like the brand is finally getting the respect it deserves.
Through the course of this year, the Trapstar brand has evolved from being London’s most secretive and has become the preferred clothing for the next generation of UK fans of grime and rap. The distinctive logo with a gothic design is seen everywhere from rap moshpits at a rap gig as well as Fashion Week runways, and in September 2019 , the brand was named the Best Streetwear Label at the inaugural ever World Fashion Awards. Stussy, Palace, Off-White and Supreme were among the contenders for their category.
It may appear as if Trapstar’s rise been rapid however, the hard work required to reach this point began long before “streetwear” as well as reselling became something that was actually an industry that was multi-million pounds.
The year 2005 was when Mikey together with his the cofounders Lee and Will determined to make something that could benefit their fellow co-founders. The three childhood buddies had a shared love of fashion, sneakers and music in the late 1990s garage and house eras in which brands like Versace as well as Moschino were heavily integrated in the society. They first began to create their own t-shirts bespoke to the hope of “out-do each other” and “inject an individual look” in their clothing. They quickly received notices in their area that was West London with friends threatening to steal the designs of their friends if they don’t begin selling their bespoke items.
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The next thing that happened was a coming-of age meeting with Lee’s stepfather who stated that they were “hood stars trapped in this system”. Not content with his remarks, Mikey challenged him by replying, “There’s a star trapped in each of us.” At that point the brand took on its name in the form of Trapstar. Trapstar as a brand was created.
At the time, Facebook and YouTube were at their infancy, and Instagram was still years away from being released. Making money from raffles on the internet, which offer the opportunity to purchase limited piecesof clothing, was not a common practice.
The Trapstar trio needed to devise an innovative method to market their products. So they made use of MySpace the most popular social network in the previous year. The merchandise could be bought with an email or by texting the company’s “trap cellphone” (a reference to the removed burner telephones). The payment and pickup would be made and delivered to the location of a hidden location, then delivered inside pizza containers, at kiosks for phones, and occasionally automobile boot stores. Trapstar used their “it’s an undercover” trademark, allowing them to keep their identities hidden – and until today they do not permit photos that show their entire faces to be published. The exclusivity of the brand created an enthralling buzz, and a flood of orders poured in. It was common for drops to sell out quickly and make certain pieces more sought-after.
As Trapstar gradually became more popular and the demand grew the company decided they needed to expand. This sounds simple but the choice first was met with skepticism. “In the beginning, no one wanted us to be successful,” Mikey explains, “and nobody wanted us to succeed in the field So instead of knocking on doors that we could have built ourselves a.”
Their biggest break was after Supra director Dylan Alkaff offered them a weekend pop-up. It was the beginning of what was later referred to in the name Trapstar Invasions. “Stores were only interested in brands that had a significant media coverage. Therefore, our entire goal was to be a guerrilla,” says Lee. “We were the underdogs in the streetwear world at a time that there was no distinction from and the UK market from the other markets and you had to compete with the larger brands”.
A string of “invasions” like the pop-up roadblock in 1948 London and the highly anticipated Yeezy release in the year 2009 resulted in Trapstar opening the flagship of their store in Portobello Rd a year later.
Then we come to today and the number of accomplishments is long. A loan by Jay Z’s Roc Nation and a stint as the official merchandising designers on Rihanna’s Monster tour as well as the Rihanna – Puma collaboration and a signature by South London heavyweight Stormzy – whom’s Trapstar underwear was a huge draw in his iconic Glastonbury show – have all led to the brand’s rise to prominence. “We didn’t look to musicians to ensure we were current, but we’ve kept friendships with them and they’ve helped us reach an entirely new market,” Mikey emphasises.
The connection between streetwear and music has created the connection. The brand has released mixtapes featuring Section Boyz and DJ Logan Sama and has recently teamed up alongside the rapper Blade Brown on a capsule collection titled “The Trap Revolution Will be Telecast”. “I think we’re experiencing a kind of renaissance in the moment with people from the UK underground scene has now taken control of what goes on in pop culture,” Mikey enthuses, “It’s amazing to see artists earning money from performing something they love. they’re now millionaires, selling their venues and purchasing houses for their moms.”
While they’ve enjoyed a lot of worldwide success with the likes of A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd and Cara Delevingne wearing their distinctive hoodies and beanies and hoodies, they’re conscious of the extent to which the UK scene is still able to play a significant role in their rise.
“It goes beyond the fashion industry,” Mikey says. “It’s much more than the mere fact that it’s fashionable.. The reason we’re in this position today is because an entire culture has been supportive of us. We started from the bottom and worked to reach where we are today. We are now required to give back. We need to ensure we continue to keep the culture alive.”