So how exactly did Stormzy ended up sporting an outfit of Trapstar pants for his iconic live show at Glastonbury this year? “It’s not that a stylist snatched our name,” Trapstar’s streetwear brand’s co-founder Mikey Trapstar. “Stormzy’s a friend of ours. He was on one our mixtapes several years ago, one that we recorded together with Wiley, the Section Boyz and Wiley.”
Trapstar is among the most popular fashions from the UK exports. It’s been seen on the Gothic Trapstar typeface or the barcode in Bus stops the football bar, terrace or on the Insta feed of Cara delevingne, Rihanna A$AP Rocky at the club in the club, Dave, Wiley, Newham Generals, D Double E. Stormzy, on the track “Shallow” describes it as follows “Roll deeply like Wiley and them man/ Trapstar as Mikey And them guys.”
Trapstar was the first fashion label that was signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. “Everything we do is based on the organic relationships we have with the artistes,” explains Mikey. In a world where Palace as well as Supreme have skateboarding, and Nike has sports, Trapstar has a hold on the streets “Trapstar isn’t just about clothes and accessories, it’s people. We’ve always been a symbol of underground music. It’s just that some of these artists get noticed.”
Modern streetwear is just as much about mobilizing an underground culture movement as it is about fashion. Bape first came into existence in 2006 during the height of the first era of streetwear which was a time in which Mikey Trapstar as well as his business associates were seen cruising through the city streets in their home town West London wearing Bape with skinny jeans, Nike Air Jordans , and Ralph Lauren. “My business partner’s father told me that we looked like “hood stars,”” Mikey says. Mikey. The first piece of Trapstar was an edgy pink T-shirt that was emblazoned featuring Scarface. Scarface poster. “We wanted to be fresh. We took a photograph of it using a burning phone and posted it on Myspace. It’s not even available for purchase.” Then, Trapstar delivered its products including the Trapstar tracksuit inside pizza boxes , after customers made their orders via the trap phone.
Today, pop-ups that are impromptu “invasions” and hidden webpages on their website which offer exclusive merchandise and events, as well as clubs and parties at hidden places aid in helping Trapstar keep its guerrilla spirit while it expands into one of biggest UK brands. “Kids used to look for designer products first, then for streetwear, but nowadays it’s the reverse and I can imagine it getting bigger,” says Mikey Trapstar . “But it’s essential for us to keep that private, exclusive vibe.”
