Trapstar is among the most popular fashion labels. They are part of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, worn by famous people from around the globe. In 2019 they were named the the title of Best Streetwear brand during the World Fashion Awards – Supreme, Palace and Stussy were among the nominees for that category.
It is estimated to be worth of thirty nine billion dollars by the year 2017 the industry of streetwear has grown to be one of the major trends in fashion in the last 30 years. And Trapstar was among the early big companies in the field.
Mikey, Lee and Will began the company in 2008 by making t-shirts to their friends and for themselves. The word soon spread within their area, and their friends threatened to steal the design if they did not begin selling to a wider audience. They began selling their products through pop-up shops and their USP was in the way they packaged and distributed the merchandise. The clothes could be purchased by sending a text message on the company’s “trap telephone”. The payment and pickup could be scheduled in advance, and the goods were shipped in pizza containers. In 2010, they were able to pay for to purchase the Trapstar flagship store located in west London located on Portobello Road.
The branding, the group of friends claim to have come to the idea of Trapstar after having a chat that Lee’s father had with him. He stated: “You all think you’re something like fly boys, but in reality, you’re stuck… Let’s see if how you can create something for yourselves.” Mikey responded by declaring: “We may be trapped however there’s a star within everyone.”
Famous for their graphic hoodies and t-shirts with brand-repping caps as well as tracksuites that match, Trapstar remains a bridge between style and streetwear. It is especially evident with the big celebrities like Rihanna, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky wearing the brand. Co-founder Mikey stated: “We’ve been working on this since the year 2008 when we first started, which was quite young within the UK streetwear market and as the result, we’ve been very involved in it. It wasn’t just because we wanted to expand this type of clothing, but the entire culture surrounding it.”
Trapstar have also played with their “it’s a secret” tagline, ensuring that their identities secret. To this day, they do not permit photos to be published that show their entire face. They usually wear face masks, or covering their faces by covering their hands. The exclusivity of this style created the buzz, which led to releases to be sold out, and certain items becoming more sought-after, contributing to the sexiness, exclusivity and exclusiveness of streetwear.
Since the opening of their first store in 2010, the brand has been busy with collections, collaborations, and various other projects. Trapstar developed Rihanna as well as Eminem’s Monster tour merchandise, they also created an exclusive range for Selfridges and worked on their Hitman games in the video series. Like we said they’re signed by Roc Nation, and they were the first fashion company to sign a contract with Roc Nation. Mikey stated: “Everything we do comes from an organic connection”. Brands such as Nike have a relationship with sports and Palace shares the same connection skateboarding. Trapstar is a major influencer on the streets as well as the culture associated with it. “Trapstar isn’t just about clothes but it’s the people. We’ve always been the ambassadors for underground music. It’s just the way it is that these artists sometimes get noticed.”
The most recent collaboration that the brand had included the south London singer Dave in their special Elements collection. The collaboration was inevitable to take place since Dace has been seen in Trapstar for years. The band released hoodies, t-shirts and joggers that all feature the Trapstar logo, and featuring Dave’s “We’re All Alone in This Together album artwork. The brand remains an eye-catcher and we’re looking forward hearing what the brand will release in 2022.
