Explain your logic behind a lack of advertising and a brand name.
A lot of people can’t think for themselves now a days & buy things just because of a brand name or someone who they pay attention to or think is cool is wearing. So by not having a brand name along with little to no advertising with or through people, it gives people the simple opportunity to see the product and make their own opinion about if they like it, then make a decision on the purchase-instead of just buying it because they saw their favorite celebrity wearing it. A good example is Jordan. Even though I will never be as impactful or important as Jordan, not all Jordans are tight. They even have knockoff team Jordans and Made by Perry Ellis now, but people still buy them because they see the Jumpman logo.
What is the process like for coming up with the image and the words that go with them?
Just make stuff we wanna wear. Make it. Then wear it. Then sell it. We don’t make large quantities because it’s not like we’re tryna get rich off these items or anything. We keep the quantities low also for the simple fact a lot of things are cooler when less people have it. If everyone is capable of having the same thing it loses value to the person & overall.
I know that Sir Michael Rocks has his Marriani line, which you play a role in, and he does a lot of full sweat suits with luxury brand logos on them. Do you have any designs for a full sweat suit planned?
A bunch… just look out for the Dutch Masters & 40’s & 9’s from Don’t Be A Menace.
It seems like more than anything, you’re having fun with your pieces. Do you think some brands take themselves too seriously?
We feel like a lot of brands have 5 logos and they just put them on every garment possible.
What are some other brands or designers that you admire or respect?
F.O.A.R., Huf, Hall Of Fame, Peas & Carrots Intl., Rip n Dip, & Odd Future… those are the only places that have showed me love, are real people & stay true to what they are.
What did the Aaliyah t-shirt design mean to you guys, especially around what would’ve been her 35th birthday?
She was within an era where a lot of original things we’re going on. For the fact of how fine Aaliyah is (like it’s unreal), she could have been doing CoverGirl and high fashion sh*t, but she stayed true to her culture & made Tommy Hilfiger look ill. So it’s more of paying homage to a girl that had individuality as opposed to just being the next good looking girl.
What’s the next step for you guys from here?
Keep making stuff we want to wear… Drop them. Mikey has been into fashion since I could remember. Back to him being the first person I saw wearing skinny jeans with Jordans & gold chains back in 06-07. So he’s always randomly thinking of something new that no one has done. Simply because of that we will just keep making stuff throughout the year. Maybe some people think it’s cool what we’re doing and let others know about it. All of this stems from Mikey’s music. The clothes is like showing people another way of your personality especially because they directly have his input in the designs. This is just another outlet to attract people to Mikey & his music.