Do not confuse with Young Jeezy’s song “Trap Star” London label Trapstar initially created custom t-shirts for their friends around seven years ago. However, because of the increasing demands, Mikey Trapstar and his group of friends were forced other than to alter the policy of the company to appeal to the people. The brand is known for its colorful, graphic t-shirts, jackets as well as rugged leather biker jackets and LDN-repping caps label now has a boutique in the London’s Portobello Road, as well as an online. Their clothes have been seen by Rihanna, The Weeknd, Rita Ora, Iggy Azalea and A$AP Rocky and the Cara Delevigne is rarely photographed in her Trapstar beanie and hat, these Londoners continue to connect the gap between street and high-end fashion. So Noisey has pinned Mikey to discover what’s happening.
There’s a general desire for an item from Trapstar nowadays. It’s become an impressive brand. If it’s Cara Delevigne making selfies with ghetto looks in Trapstar beanies It’s Rihanna taking selfies for a night out in her original Trapstar pieces. Let me know about the journey from London popular label to sought-after global label…
Mikey: [LaughsMikey: [Laughs] Cara isn’t ghetto. JP she’s G’d up! There’s a huge distinction. Ghetto is the jumping of the rail line to avoid an PS8 ticket using PS40 on your side. G’d up sits in a five-star restaurant with the baggy t-shirt with kicks, but not making a fuss, and all the dolly birds and suits look at you! That’s Cara. Cara doesn’t follow fashion. she chases fashion. Trapstar was created by myself and my two of my friends–Lee Trapstar and Will Trapstar around 7 years ago. There weren’t many online stores at the time and we ran into huge difficulties getting stockists since the recession was just hitting and they weren’t willing to take a risk with the creation of a brand new to them. We came up with a new idea. We came up with a pop-up store system dubbed Trapstar Invasion. We named it Trapstar Invasion because we believed we were being excluded from the market, even the fact that we had thousands of loyal supporters. We were forced to make things the hands of our customers. The system gradually grew out of London and into Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester as well as New York. It finally reached an extent, in the year 2010 when we could afford to open an exclusive store for ourselves in West London located on Portobello Road.
Rihanna along with model Cara Delevigne and Georgia May Jagger. But what are you paying the stars to wear your outfits? You can’t do this just out of desire to please…
I pay them with check and they bounce in 30 days! Oh, no, I’m just playing with you. We don’t charge for people for their clothes. It’s all about love and I’m extremely happy about this. I believe everything must be organic. What is the way to say, “I’ll wear your clothes to shop when you pay me”? It’s a clear indication that they don’t like your brand therefore why would they want to force it? Don’t think about fashion for a second. As a human with self-respect, you must only collaborate with those who are willing to work with you.
Visit this website when shopping for a Trapstar jacket.
Wise. You’re in close contact with the hip-hop community as well. In the past, Trapstar’s held memorable soirées with A$AP Rocky during the early days, as well as Stalley and many more. How did you manage to establish such a strong relationship with these musicians?
It seems like we’re following the same movement. I just happen to be trendy. It comes to the point that you know who they know, and that people who are friends with each other would recommend the brand. We’ve done many hours of effort in the industry which is why word of mouth spreads and relationships develop and we connect. I’d never ask a friend to get anyone to play Trapstar as it’s a bit forced and snarky at the top levels.
Benga led the campaign for your latest collaboration with the computer game Hitman: Absolution. What brought this collaboration out of it?
We were targeted because of our colors and brand’s philosophy. Benga is a friend of mine so I viewed it as an excellent in-house choice. Benga was able to fit the project an utterly amazing degree! It was a truly awesome project actually. I was able to design using my darker imagination and was even allowed to visit the gun range to make a crazy video under water, with bullets. We didn’t even get detained for it! This is a win in my book!
It’s a brand new initiative that’s been launched by Glaceau Water called #shinebright, in which you’re seeking the next fashion icon to work alongside you to get some valuable practical experience in the fashion industry. What kind of experience are you looking for when you’re making your final the day of your decision?
I’m just looking for some freshness and enthusiasm. It’s not necessary to be the most popular or the most complete brand, as it’s all about finances, and the purpose in the campaign will be to aid them. They must exude an energy that makes people believe they’ll stay around for many years to be. I’m sure you’re feeling it to require that extra hand to make it to the second stage. I believe we’ve received such a lot of support, it’s only fair to offer back our support and let some fresh talent shine through.
Many people say British streetwear is dying. Other people claim that it’s changing. Thoughts?
British streetwear? Dead? Wow! What bitter people have you had conversations with? The world is definitely experiencing changes but that’s just the way of life. There’s nothing exactly the same as it was 10 years ago, be it music fashion, sports, as well as food. As I see it is that you must change to change or you’ll kick yourself off, retreat into caves, and eventually disappear. A growing number of people are proud of the UK and I believe things are moving in the right path.