In the year 2011, Mikey Trapstar, Lee and Will — the founders of the British streetwear brand Trapstar, were approached by Roc Nation’s Jay Brown and Ty Ty to drop by the studio in London. Brown as well as Ty Ty had just seen Omar Grant, an A&R executive at RocN, wearing a Trapstar tracksuit and wanted be aware of what all the buzz was about. “[Brown as well as Ty Ty] were like”Why are people sporting this jacket? Where are they? Is this the same person?” Recalls Mikey.
What Mikey didn’t realize was that the first meeting would transform his life. “When we arrived at Studio, the staff said”You know the reason why we brought you here. We’re going to invest.'” he says.
However, Mikey isn’t afraid to admit that the first time he didn’t believe Roc Nation really wanted to invest into the brand. “Straight away, I was thinking”What do you know of the company? I knew that Roc Nation was huge and I was aware of what was possible but I was still carrying this little chip in my back,” he says. He sat down alongside Brown along with Ty Ty and gave them an overview of the brand. He showed the YouTube footage of pop-up advertisements 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 as well as Ty Ty were in London.
Today Mikey is next to myself in the Trapstar’s NYC studio located on the 39th floor of 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 inform them that he felt the trio was “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 featuring a picture he took using the camera on his Nokia cellphone of the painting that he purchased to decorate his home. The t-shirts, which he gave to his friends but decided not to sell, became popular enough that people began curious about how much money he made from the t-shirts. One of his buddies even 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 bitten by various reasons.”
What really swayed Lee to join Trapstar was a statement made by Lee’s stepfather. “We come from a rough region We got a bad reputation at times. The stepdad of Lee was like, ‘You’re all believe that you’re fly-by-night group, but you’re actually stuck… Let’s see if how you can be a part of something”” says Mikey and he replied: “We may be trapped but there’s a star in everyone.”
“That was what drove me,” he adds. “I think that he was able to press the buttons on my computer.”
In the beginning in the year 2005/2006, Mikey says that no one was looking to buy Trapstar. “They thought that we were coming to market today, and gone the next day.” But what was initially seen as a problem turned for their benefit. “They simply forced us to return to our original roots, and keep the relationship a little more intimate for those that 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 an order. Deliveries were made by hand, using boxes for detergent and pizza (“We often wanted to hide packaging,”” Mikey adds. Mikey). “We kind of had this”see everywhere, never found anywhere attitude.”
Trapstar will eventually be available at Supra located on Portobello Road in London, which is now their flagship store. “It was as if we were signed to the label,” says Mikey. The brand had its own fan base and had its own fan base. Pop-up shops and store-wide events 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 that were selected to take part at the “Reset” event. It was a marketplace that sold exclusive, limited-edition, and other items at Nike’s 948 store located in Shoreditch, London. “That is the first occasion we had a stampede, and it was right in the middle of eleven others,” Mikey says. Mikey. “It was on the same day that Yeezys were coming out. There were two lines, which meant that we were second to the other and to understand the amount of people wanted those sneakers… 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 today and I go back and watch it time.”
The hard work resulted in a payoff. In the past couple of the last few years Trapstar have released a number of collections. developed Rihanna Eminem’s and Rihanna’s “Monster” merchandise for their tour as well as an exclusive range designed for London retailer Selfridges which is which is where the brand is sold; introduced the brand’s Red Line label; designed collections with an exclusive collection of the Hitman gaming series and showcased their collaborations in collaboration 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 Model 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 label that hails from London attract 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 world, and his advice for emerging designers and brands. Make notes.
Learn about materials and fabrics.
“For many years we weren’t aware of fabrics] and there were mistakes made, but we never put them on the market. But somebody knows and the fabric store is aware. The first thing we’d think about is, “Can you create this from it? What’s the purpose Somewhere, someone will find out, up to the point that you’ve produced the product and attempt to sell it to a store the store will be able to tell you, ‘No I’m not going to buy it, because if I sell it, this would happen. If you decide to sell it, and you wish to present that image to the world at large even after the experts have told you that this product isn’t good, then it’s your choice. However, if you are aware that it’s not of good qualityand continue pushing it through the Internet until you have your refund, you have be aware that customers aren’t likely to come back.”
Do not follow the latest fashions.
“People should not be obsessed with trends, especially when you’re just beginning your journey. I don’t believe you can create a brand from trends. When people see it, they’ll say, “That’s taken from another. The brand that’s the “something different’ doesn’t need to compete with the brand that’s new. How can you convince an individual to really love the brand? It’s an intention statement that that person is fucked with. The brand is a source of trust for people or the logo. They 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. It happens every day on Instagram and people who follow us and ask, “What do they have to be doing? Why are they trying to duplicate you guys If you’re attempting to keep up with a trend, you’ll be a victim of it, and 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 going to attend this big, dope event’, but if you don’t have your head in the game, you’ve has a product, and there isn’t a network that’s capable of saving you. Let’s say Rihanna, who is the only person you would like to wear your brand’s logo, attends an event, and you can get yourself a backstage pass , but you don’t have the name of your company, you’ve had a clue, or even any product. What do you plan to do when you arrive backstage when you meet the singer? “Hey, do you see me in six months? This means that networking isn’t really the first step keep working in the lab and perfect your art. It’s not necessary to have a huge collection of asses, but you should be satisfied with what you have first, and then offer something when you try to connect with them. Be prepared to be a part of the solution and maintain your image when everyone else is gone, because the opportunity is bound to come. First impressions are crucial. Learning your craft will always beat people going out and engaging with people to make a point. The networking will happen because good shit is spoken about.”
Make sure your structure is put in place.
“If you’re in it to succeed, the first thing you’ll require is a team as well as an organization to manage the success. It’s more crucial than achievement because you cannot achieve true success without structure and that’s the thing that many people today are doing wrong. There’s a lot of screaming, but you’re not concerned about the details or your business plan trademarking. The business aspect is a factor when you’re trying to get there. If everybody was aware of the brand but it didn’t grow into a firm 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 to the 39th floor,” 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 of their shit do you have some basis? Some people believe that you can create product placements and have an impact with your brand but you have to build your own backlog as well as your own style and you shouldn’t make a statement based on someone else’s style or name in hopes of being noticed and appreciated. These people aren’t wearing you because they’re ordered to or something, it’s an option.”
Rely on your cult, and be true to your group.
“Don’t be preaching about something only to end up slipping onto another thing after the “gram. If you truly 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 hasn’t got people passionate about it. Your own community will always be a great test to see if it is possible to make heads turn. That’s the reason I did not want to sell in Selfridges the right way. It’s the reason why we’ve not just been stocked in high-end boutiques. We’d like to know who we are in the members of our U.S. community, and be part of them. It’s much more rewarding and natural this way.”
Keep your mind strong, to tap your fingers out.
“In between the deals we saw vultures come at us. There was an incident where people thought that we didn’t have the trademark, and tried to steal 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 daily, man and if you’re not robust, you should let go to the outside world, it’s true. It’s all about being confident in yourself. You must remember your highs and the reasons it’s that.”
Trust on your work.
“Honestly the first time we wore Tees weren’t that hot We just believed they were. You don’t want to be embarrassed at yourself. We believed in [our product], and our positivity and enthusiasm is contagious. If I don’t believein it, why do you have to?”