In the year 2011, Mikey Trapstar, Lee Will, and Mikey Trapstar–the founders of the British streetwear brand Trapstar, were approached by Roc Nation’s Jay Brown and Ty Ty to visit the studio in London. Brown as well as Ty Ty had just seen Omar Grant, an A&R executive at RocN, wearing an Trapstar Hoodie and wanted be aware of what all the buzz was about. “[Brown Ty Ty] and Ty Ty] were like”Why is everyone sporting this jacket? Where are they? What is the person behind this?” remembers Mikey.
What Mikey did not realize was that the first meeting would transform his life. “When we arrived at our studios, they said”You understand the reason we brought you here. We’re looking to invest.'” he says.
However, Mikey isn’t afraid to admit that it was his first impression that Roc Nation really wanted to invest in the company. “Straight away, I thought”Do you know anything of the company? I was aware that [Roc Nation] was a big company and I knew the possibilities however I had this little chip over my shoulders,” he says. He sat down alongside Brown along with Ty Ty and gave them an overview of the brand. He also showed their YouTube video clips of the pop-ups which they referred to as “Invasions,” and explained all the relevant images they employed. Roc Nation and Trapstar kept the dialogue over the course of two years arranging to meet at any time Brown or Ty Ty were in London.
Today Mikey is right next to me at Trapstar’s NYC studio located on the 39th floor in the Roc Nation headquarters in Manhattan and says that those talks together with Jay Brown and Ty Ty and the initial co-signs from Rihanna as well as Rita Ora were crucial in getting Jay Z’s endorsement. “We practically got tested right there,” he says. Jay Z, who Mikey, Will, and Lee eventually met and who would later say that he believed the trio was “fresh” and enjoyed their enthusiasm.
But don’t let it get twisted: Mikey, Will, and Lee have been hard at the hours long before they were hired by Jay Z’s team.
In London, Mikey made T-shirts using a photograph he snapped using the camera on his Nokia cellphone of the painting that he purchased to decorate his home. The t-shirts, which Mikey gave to his friends but decided not to sell, became popular enough that people began wondering how much they were making from these tees. One of his friends threatened to replicate the shirt in the event that Mikey would not begin selling the shirt. “That turned my arm in a twisted way,” says Mikey. “We’ve been bit for various reasons.”
However, what really motivated Lee to launch Trapstar was a statement that Lee’s stepfather made to him. “We come from a rough region and we got a bad reputation at times. The stepdad of Lee said, ‘You guys believe you’re fly-by-night group, but you’re actually stuck… Let’s hope that you can make something of yourself”” says Mikey and he replied: “We may be trapped however there’s a shining star in everyone.”
Did you Know? You can buy the latest Trapstar coat over at Hype Locker UK.
“That made me angry,” he adds. “I believe that he was able to press me to push buttons.”
In the beginning in the year 2005/2006, Mikey says that no one was looking to purchase Trapstar. “They believed that we were coming to market today, and gone the next day.” However, what began as a problem turned for their benefit. “They simply forced us to return to our roots, and keep it a bit more intimate for those who know the identity of who you are as well as what your brand’s mission is,” he says. Customers were required to contact them through MySpace to make orders. The items were delivered by hand in containers for pizza and detergent (“We have always wanted to hide packaging,”” Mikey says. Mikey). “We were sort of a”look everywhere, find nowhere mindset.”
Trapstar will eventually be available at Supra located on Portobello Road in London, which is now their flagship store. “It was like we were signed to an organization,” says Mikey. At that point, the label was gaining its own attention and had a fan base of its own. Pop-up shops and store-wide events that they referred to as “Invasions,” in London, Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester were soon followed. in 2009 Trapstar was one of the 12 companies selected to participate during the “Reset” event, a marketplace that sold exclusive, limited-edition, and discontinued items at Nike’s 948 store located in Shoreditch, London. “That was the very first time we saw a stampede happen and it was right in the middle of eleven others,” adds Mikey. “It was the day that the Yeezys were coming out. There were two lines, making it difficult to stand second to the other and to understand how sought-after those shoes were… It was a shame that at the time we didn’t have a budget for marketing and no virals, but we had media that showed us appreciation, and we did sell out. It’s available currently on YouTube currently and I check it out every time.”
The hard work been rewarded. In the last few decades, Trapstar have released a number of collections. developed Rihanna Eminem’s and Rihanna’s “Monster” merchandise for their tour as well as an exclusive line to London retailer Selfridges which is where the brand is sold; established the brand’s Red Line label; designed collections with its Hitman games and unveiled the brand’s collaboration together with New York artist Haculla during London’s Fashion Week. In addition, there are co-signs of big name celebrities including Future, Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jay Z (of course), Cara Delevingne, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton A$AP Rocky as well as models Jourdan Dunn Young Jeezy, Victor Cruz, OG Maco, Game of Thrones’ Alfie Allen as well as Meek Mill. The list is endless.
How exactly did a streetwear company of London get the interest from Jay Brown and Ty Ty–and Jay Z? We had a chat with Mikey and talked to him about his experiences trying to break into the fashion world, and what advice he would give to new designers and brands. Make notes.
Learn about materials and fabrics.
“For an extended period of time we didn’t have any idea about fabrics] and we’ve made mistakes , but we didn’t take them on the market. However, someone knows and the fabric store is aware. The first thing we’d like to know is, ‘Can you create this from it? What’s the purpose Somewhere, someone will be aware, right after you’ve created the item and then want to offer it to the retailer the store will be able to say, “No I’m not going to buy it since if I were to sell it, it would be sold. If you decide to continue selling it, and you wish to present that image to the world at large when experts have advised you that this product isn’t amazing, then do your choice. If you’re aware [that it’s not of a good standardand continue pushing it through the Internet until you have your refund, you need be aware that customers aren’t likely to come back.”
Don’t be a follower of fashions.
“People should not be obsessed with trends, especially when you’re just beginning your journey. I don’t think it’s possible to create a brand from trends. If people see that they’ll say, “That’s taken from another. The brand that’s the “something different’ doesn’t need to fight the brand that’s new. How can you convince people to love the brand? There is an objective statement that the person is willing to fuck with. The brand is a source of trust for people and the logo. People say, ‘I’ll pay more to get that exact item from you instead of you. I don’t care if they’re performing it at a lower cost. We see it every day on Instagram and people who follow us asking, ‘What is this fuck they’re doing? What is their motive behind trying to duplicate you guys If you’re attempting to keep up with a trend, you’ll be a victim of it, and will waste all of your energy.”
Learn to perfect your craft before you worry about social media.
“I am having conversations with a lot of people. The word “networking” is like making use of, and you cannot connect without anything to back your back. I’ve heard people say “I’m planning to go to this dope big event’, but if you don’t have your head in the game, you’ve have a product. There isn’t any network that’s likely to help you. Let’s say that Rihanna, who is the only person you would like to wear your brand, is performing at an event and you get yourself a ticket to the backstage, but you don’t have an identity for your company, you’ve have a clue or an idea for a product. What will you do when you return to meet with her? “Hey, do you see me in six months? Therefore, it’s not really about networking first keep working in the lab and perfect your trade. I’m not saying that you need to have a huge collection of asses, but you should be happy with the results you achieved first, and then offer something when you try to connect with them. Be prepared to remain in the game and improve your image when everyone else is gone, because the opportunity is bound to come. First impressions are important. Learning your craft will always beat people going out and making contact with people just to make a point. The networking will happen because the good stuff is talked about.”
Put your structure put in place.
“If you’re in it to succeed, the first thing you’ll require is a team and an organization to manage this success. This is more crucial than achievement because you cannot achieve true success without structure and that’s the thing that many people today have a problem with. There’s a lot of screaming, but you’re not concerned about the details or your business plan trademarking. It’s a business issue when you’re trying to get there. If everybody was aware of the name but it didn’t grow into a firm was that a failure? I don’t think so.”
Have a cause and be a solid foundation.
“[Jay Z ] and Rihanna”[Rihanna and Jay Z] took the brand up to the 39th level, however, if there was no backing prior to that, you’d never be able to enter the room with the two. So, what do you get after you take that off? If you take someone else’s enjoying the shite away do you have some basis? Many people think that you can perform product placement and create an impact with your brand but you have to build your own backlog such as your personal style and you shouldn’t make a statement based on someone else’s style or name with the expectation of getting noticed and appreciated. These people aren’t wearing you because they’re instructed to, or even because of anything else. it’s an option.”
Make an appeal to your cult and be true to your group.
“Don’t be preaching about something only to end up slipping onto another shit after the “gram. If you believe in it, it’s not going to be imposed. It’s a false prophecy, isn’t it? There’s not a single company in the world that does not have people who are excited about it. Your immediate audience will always be a great test to determine if your products make heads turn. That’s the reason I did not want to sell in Selfridges the right way. It’s the reason why we don’t only stock in high-end boutiques. We’d like to know who’s in part of the U.S. community, and be part of them. It’s more satisfying and natural this way.”
Keep your mind strong, and tap it out.
“In between the deals there were vultures looking at us. There was a time when people thought that we didn’t have the trademark, and tried to get it, even although we were the first to have it in 2005. When you are rising to the top, everybody wants a piece your. There are challenges that happen daily, man and if you’re not resilient, then you must get out of the way and let it go. It’s about being confident in yourself. You only need to remember the highs and the reasons that you’re on this journey.”
Be confident on your work.
“Honestly our first T-shirts weren’t all that great We just believed they were. You don’t want to be embarrassed at yourself. We truly believed in our product], and our positivity and enthusiasm is contagious. If I don’t trust, then why do you have to?”