Trapstar is among the most successful fashion labels. They are part of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, worn by celebrities from all over the globe. In 2019 they won the title of best Streetwear brand in the World Fashion Awards – Supreme, Palace and Stussy were among the nominees for that category.
It is estimated to be worth of more than 300 billion dollars as of the year 2017 The streetwear industry has been one of the most significant trends in the fashion world over the past 30 years. And Trapstar was among the early big companies in the field.
Mikey, Lee and Will began the business in 2008, making t-shirts for them and their other friends. The word soon spread throughout their community and they threatened their friends with stealing the designs of their friends if they didn’t begin selling to a wider audience. The company began by selling their products through pop-up shops as well as their USP was in the way they packaged and distributed the products. The clothing was available for purchase through a text message sent on the company’s “trap cellphone”. The purchase and payment would be made and the clothes will be shipped in pizza containers. By 2010 , they had the funds to pay for to purchase the Trapstar flagship store located in west London located on Portobello Road.
For the branding, the group of friends claim to have come to the idea of Trapstar following a discussion about Lee’s stepdad. He stated: “You all think you’re some kind of fly-like boys, but you’re actually stuck… Let’s hope how you can create something for yourselves.” Mikey responded by declaring: “We may be trapped but there’s a star within everyone.”
Famous for their graphic hoodies and tees as well as brand-repping caps, and the matching tracksuits Trapstar remains a bridge between fashion and streetwear. It is especially evident with the big names like Rihanna, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky showcasing the label. Co-founder Mikey stated: “We’ve been working on this since the year 2008 when we first started, which was quite early within the UK streetwear market and as the result, we’ve been very involved in it. We didn’t only wanted to expand this type of clothing; it was the entire culture surrounding it.”
Trapstar has also played with their “it’s a secret” tagline, ensuring that their identities hidden. To this day, they aren’t allowed to have photos released that show their full face. They usually wear face masks, or covering up their face by covering their hands. The exclusivity of this style created the buzz, which led to releases to sell out , and certain pieces are now more desirable as they feed into the sexiness and exclusivity of streetwear.
Since their first shop was opened in 2010, the company has been busy by collaborating on collections, collaborations and various other projects. Trapstar created Rihanna as well as Eminem’s Monster merchandise for their tour and created exclusive collections for Selfridges and worked in Hitman. Hitman gaming series. As we’ve mentioned before Trapstar is a member of Roc Nation, and they were the first fashion label to sign such a deal. Mikey stated: “Everything we do comes from a natural relationship”. Brands such as Nike have a relationship with sports and Palace shares the same connection with skateboarding. Trapstar is a major influencer on the streets as well as the culture associated with it. “Trapstar isn’t just clothing and people. We’ve always been the ambassadors for underground music. It’s just the way it is that these artists sometimes get noticed.”
The latest collaboration the brand had included the south London singer Dave for their own exclusive Elements collection. This collaboration was sure to take place since Dave has been seen wearing Trapstar for years. The brand released t-shirts, Joggers and hoodies all sporting the Trapstar logo and Dave’s “We’re All Alone in This Together album artwork. The brand is one to keep an eye on and we’re looking forward hearing what the brand will do in 2023.
Unity Injustice Archives