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 to be aware of what all the buzz was about. “[Brown as well as Ty Ty] were like”Why is everyone in this outfit? What is it? What is the person behind this?” remembers Mikey.
What Mikey did not realize was that the first meeting would alter his life forever. “When we entered Studio, the staff said”You know the reason we brought you here. We’re going to invest.'” he says.
However, Mikey isn’t afraid to admit that it was his first impression that Roc Nation really wanted to invest into the brand. “Straight away, I was thinking”Do you know anything of the company? I was aware that [Roc Nation] was a big company and I knew what was possible however I had this small smirk over my shoulders,” he says. He sat down together with Brown as well as Ty Ty and gave them an overview of the brand. He showed their YouTube video clips of the pop-ups that they dubbed “Invasions,” and explained the various images they employed. Roc Nation and Trapstar kept the dialogue throughout the two-year period, arranging to meet every time Brown as well as Ty Ty were in London.
Today Mikey who’s next to myself in the Trapstar’s NYC studio on the 39th level in the Roc Nation office in Manhattan He says the talks together with Jay Brown and Ty Ty as well as the early co-signs with Rihanna as well as Rita Ora were crucial in getting Jay Z’s approval. “We practically got checked right then,” he says. Jay Z, who Mikey, Will, and Lee had later met and who would later say that he believed that they looked “fresh” and loved their enthusiasm.
But don’t let it get twisted: Mikey, Will, and Lee were putting in their time long before being recruited by Jay Z’s squad.
In London, Mikey made T-shirts using a photograph he snapped using the camera on his Nokia smartphone of an artwork he purchased to decorate his home. The t-shirts, which Mikey handed out to friends and decided not to sell, became popular enough that people began wondering how much he made from these tees. One of his friends threatened to make copies of 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 numerous reasons.”
What really swayed Lee to join Trapstar was a statement that Lee’s stepfather made to him. “We come from a rough spot We were a target for bad press at times. Lee’s step-dad was like, ‘You’re all believe you’re fly guys, but you’re really stuck… Let’s hope how you can be a part of something”” says Mikey and he replied: “We may be trapped however there’s a shining star that’s trapped in every person.”
“That made me angry,” he adds. “I believe the man knew how to hit me to push buttons.”
In the beginning of 2005/2006 Mikey states that nobody wanted to buy Trapstar. “They believed that we were coming to market today and then gone tomorrow.” But what was initially seen as a problem turned for their benefit. “They have just forced us to return to our original origins, so keep it a bit closer to people who know the identity of who you are as well as the value of your brand,” 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”see everywhere, never found anywhere mindset.”
Trapstar was eventually sold at Supra in Portobello Road in London, which is now their flagship store. “It was like we were signed to an organization,” says Mikey. The brand had its own fan base and had a fan base of its own. In-store and pop-up stores that they referred to as “Invasions,” in London, Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester were soon followed. The year 2009 saw Trapstar emerged as one of twelve brands selected to participate at the “Reset” event. It was a marketplace that sold exclusive, limited edition and discontinued items at Nike’s 948 store located in Shoreditch, London. “That is the first occasion we saw a stampede happen and it was right in the presence of eleven different brands,”” adds Mikey. “It was the day that Yeezys were released. There were two queues making it difficult to stand second to him and to be aware of how sought-after those shoes were… It was a shame that at the time we did not have a budget for marketing No virals, no media expressing our the love we deserve, and we sold out. The video is currently on YouTube currently and I go back and watch it often.”
The hard work been rewarded. In the last few the last few years Trapstar have released a number of collections. developed Rihanna as well as Eminem’s “Monster” tour merchandise and created a special line to London retailer Selfridges which is where the brand is sold; established their Red Line label; designed an assortment based on its Hitman games and unveiled their collaborations in collaboration with New York artist Haculla during London’s Fashion Week. In addition, there are co-signs with big name stars like 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 spoke to Mikey and talked to him about his experiences trying to break into the fashion industry, as well as 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 there were mistakes made, but we never put them on the market. But somebody knows that the fabric store does. The first thing we’d like to know is, ‘Can you create something from it? What’s it for Somewhere, someone will find out, after you’ve created the product and attempt to sell it to a store the store will be able to tell you, ‘No I’m not purchasing it, because if I sell it, this would happen. If you decide to continue selling it, and you wish to make that impression on the world at large when experts have advised you that it’s not good, then it’s your style. However, if you are aware that it’s not of good qualityand you continue to push it via the Internet until you have your refund, you need to realize that your customers aren’t likely to come back.”
Do not follow the latest the latest trends.
“People should not be obsessed with trends, particularly if you’re only starting out. I don’t believe you can create a brand new from trends. If people see that they’ll think, ‘That’s taken from another. The brand that’s the “something different’ doesn’t need to fight the brand new one. How can you convince people to enjoy the brand? It’s an objective statement that the person is willing to fuck with. People are drawn to the brand or the logo. They think, ‘I’ll be paying more to get that exact product from you, rather than you. I don’t care about performing it at a lower cost. It happens often on Instagram and people who follow us asking, ‘What do they have to be doing? What is their motive behind trying to take our ideas and copy us If you’re trying to keep up with a trend, you’ll also fall off the trend and will waste all of your energy.”
Get your craft perfected before you worry about social media.
“I am having conversations with a lot of people. “Networking” is akin to making use of, and you cannot do it without a thing behind your back. I’ve heard people say “I’m planning to go to this dope big occasion,’ however, if you’re not able to sell your head in the game, you’ve has a product, and there isn’t a network that’s likely to help you. Let’s say Rihanna, who is the who you want to wear your brand, is performing at an event and you get yourself a backstage pass , but you don’t have even the name of your business, you’ve have a clue or any product. What do you plan to do when you arrive backstage when you meet the singer? “Hey, do you see me in 6 months? Therefore, networking isn’t really the first step and then staying in the lab and perfect your trade. I’m not saying that you need to have a huge collection of aces, but be happy with the results you achieved first, and then provide something of value to someone in the event that you want to get connected with them. Be prepared to be a part of the solution and maintain your image while everyone else is gone, because the opportunity will present itself. First impressions are crucial. Learning your craft will always beat people going out and engaging with people to make a point. Networking will occur because the good stuff is talked about.”
Make sure your structure is up and running.
“If you’re determined to succeed, the first thing you’ll require is a team as well as an organization to manage the 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 worried about the details or your business plan trademarking. The business aspect is a factor when you’re trying to get there. If everybody knew about the name but it didn’t grow into a business would that be considered a success? I don’t think so.”
Have a cause and be a solid foundation.
“[Jay Z ] and Rihannahave taken the brand up to the 39th level, but if they didn’t have any 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 any basis? Some people believe that you can create product placements and have the brand explode however, you must build your own backlog such as your personal style You can’t simply make a statement based on someone else’s brand name and fashion in hopes of being noticed and appreciated. They aren’t wearing your clothes simply because they’re instructed to, or even because of anything else. it’s their choice.”
Make an appeal to your cult and be true to your religious cult.
“Don’t be preaching about something only to be caught doing another shit after the “gram. If you truly believe in it, it’s not going to be forced. 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 serve as a great way to see if it is possible to get people talking. This is why I did not want to sell in Selfridges the right way. It’s the reason we don’t only stock in high-end boutiques. We’d like to understand who we are in part of the U.S. community, and join them. It’s much more rewarding and natural this way.”
Stay mentally strong to tap your fingers out.
“In between the deals we saw vultures come 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. If you’re rising to the top, everybody wants a piece your. There are challenges that happen every day and if you’re not robust, you should let go to the outside world, it’s true. It’s about having faith in yourself. only need to remember the highs and the reasons that you’re on this journey.”
Trust that you can trust your products.
“Honestly the first time we wore T-shirts weren’t all that great but we believed they were. It’s not a good idea to gush at yourself. We believed in [our product], and our positivity and enthusiasm are contagious. In essence, if I don’t trust, then why would you?”
