It takes a special something to get the streets on lock, Trapstar Co-Founder Mikey Trapstar, tells us how you can do the same…

It’s very hard to get a streetwear brand as well known as Trapstar, how has the brand grown in the last year?

The brand has grown considerably over the past 12 months. We’ve expanded our collection range in terms of product we see ourselves becoming more of a cut and sew tailor made orientated brand. Which is personally a sign of progression to me. Since we started from making screen printed t-shirts it feels like a journey to me. We also find that the brand name is getting out there more. And we’re starting to get national/ international coverage. This has come from quite a few factors some may say it’s the celebs such as Rihanna, Drake, Fabolous, Professor Green and Jermaine Defoe being spotted wearing the clothing. But I’d like to think it’s the UK underground influential people who are making a lot of noise right now. Such as Blade Brown, Eliza Dolittle, Master Shortie, Sincere and Fem Fel that are getting us out there because we try to represent the them and the UK to the fullest. And they do the same back. We’ve also tripled the amount of events compared to the previous year. These events are called invasions. Which is when we do store takeovers for a limited period of time and launch product for that space and time period. Last year was when first saw a group of customers queuing for the launch of our collection before the sale started. I remember it was at the Nike store in an even called The Reset. We launched the same day as the Kanye West kicks. He had a queue and we had our own little queue at the same time. That touched me and opened my eyes at the actual support that UK streetwear has. This year we’ve been concentrating on doing invasions on a more national scale in places such as Birmingham and Bristol so we’re constantly on the road.

How do you go about marketing/ showcasing your clothing?

In terms of marketing we’re pretty much on that gorilla tip. We believe in self promo to the fullest. We’re very heavily internet based so we utilise all the options around us such as. Our website iamatrapstar.com, blog, Twitter (@trapstarldn), Facebook, MySpace and newsletters and we even have a customer Blackberry pin which we call the Trapberry; Where we can talk to, interact and answer any question from people who are interested in knowing the brand. Or even for someone who needs advice or help with their brand. We’re far from stush. At the same time we get blog love from neighbouring sites that share the same UK streetwear interests. Such as the Daily Street, BNTL – Matt Benson the founder has done most of my look book photoshoots. They’ve both supported us from the start. But. At the same time we’re not too shy to go back to basics and hand out flyers hand to hand and put up a poster before a launch, that’s standard procedure to us.

Any other ways of getting your brand out there?

Yeah, YouTube as well. We started our own channel to let more understand our designs in depth and the lifestyle of the brand. Our channel’s called 2020 Vision, we named it that because that’s what you’re told at the opticians if you have perfect sight). We believe in opening people’s eyes and mind with the choice of content that the channel highlights. This extension to the brand was started with Morgan Keyz who does all our viral advertising and also works with SB.tv.

What do you do when there is a popular item, how do you capitalise on it?

To be honest. We never really get to capitalise on a popular item because we believe in selling limited edition runs. So people buy into the brand knowing that it’s not going to be rocked by every Tom, Dick and Harry and that they have to get it now on a ‘snooze you lose’ basis. Some say we’re crazy and are losing money that way but we try to stick to those ideals to preserve the brand. For our sake and our supporters too.

Any advice for someone who wanted the same heat on road as you guys?

Build your buzz on the road by interacting with your surroundings. Don’t rely on one form of promotion; ie, a Facebook group and that’s it. Be prepared, work hard, don’t let one knock back from press or a store make you give up. This industry is very hit and miss, you’re maybe one design away from success. Most retail stockists are scared of new brands so it’s best to build your buzz from the ground upwards then the rest will take notice. Don’t be afraid to start with t-shirts, it’s cheaper to experiment to see if you actually are getting a good reception; rather than taking out a loan or spending all your savings on a whole collection that may sit there gathering dust. Due to the epidemic of t-shirts brands if you have the chance to expand into different products do so, because UK streetwear or streetwear in general is more competitive than ever.

What does the future hold for Trapstar?

We’ll be launching/ opening our first Trapstar store this month (Sept) in Notting Hill west London (281Porterbello, Green Arcade, London W10 5TZ). We’re in talks with a few brands regarding collaborating on a few items too.

For more Trapstar check iamatrapstar.com

Also check them out on 27 August at the next RESET…

Tags: Fashion, Interviews, Trapstar