Trapstar is among the most successful fashion labels. They’re part of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, worn by famous people from around the world . In 2019, they won the title of best Streetwear brand in the World Fashion Awards – Supreme, Palace and Stussy were among the nominees in this 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 major trends in fashion over the past 30 years. And Trapstar was among the very first major companies in the field.
Mikey, Lee and Will began the business in 2008, making t-shirts for them and their other friends. However, the brand quickly gained popularity within their area, and their friends threatened to steal the designs of their friends if they did not begin selling to a larger market. They began selling their products through pop-up shops as well as their USP was the way they packaged and shipped the merchandise. The clothes could be purchased by sending a text message on the company’s “trap telephone”. The payment and pickup could be made in advance, and the goods will be supplied in pizza-shaped boxes. In 2010, they were able to pay for to purchase the Trapstar flagship store in West London located on Portobello Road.
For the names of the company, the group of friends claim to have come to the idea of Trapstar after having a chat about Lee’s stepdad. He stated: “You all think you’re one of the fly boys, but you’re actually stuck… Let’s hope how you can create something for yourselves.” Mikey responded by declaring: “We may be trapped however there’s a star that’s trapped within everyone.”
The brand is known for its bold graphic hoodies and t-shirts with brand-repping caps as well as tracksuites that match, Trapstar remains a bridge between fashion and streetwear. Particularly with famous 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 early of the UK streetwear scene . As the result, we’ve been very involved in it. We didn’t only were looking to promote this style of clothing, but the entire culture surrounding it.”
Trapstar has also played with their “it’s a secret” tagline and managed to keep their identities secret. They do not permit photos to be released that show their full face. They usually wear the ski mask 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 as they feed into the sexiness as well as the exclusivity and hype of streetwear.
Since the opening of their first store in 2010, the brand has been busy by collaborating on collections, collaborations as well as other projects. Trapstar developed Rihanna as well as Eminem’s Monster merchandise for their tour They also created exclusive collections for Selfridges and worked on Hitman. Hitman games in the video series. Like we said Trapstar is a member of Roc Nation, and they were the first fashion company to sign such a deal. Mikey declared: “Everything we do comes from an organic connection”. Brands such as Nike have a relationship with sports and Palace is the same way with skateboarding. Trapstar holds a sway on the streets as well as the culture that surrounds it. “Trapstar isn’t just clothing but it’s the people. We’ve always been the ambassadors for underground music. It’s just the way it is that some of these artists get noticed.”
The latest collaboration the brand has done included South London singer Dave for their own exclusive Elements collection. The collaboration was inevitable to take place since Dave has been seen wearing Trapstar for a number of years. The brand released t-shirts, Hoodies, and joggers that all feature the Trapstar logo, and featuring Dave’s “We’re All Alone in This Together album artwork. This brand remains one to keep an eye on and we’re looking forward the 2023 year to see what they will release.
