My Top 5 Streetwear Companies

I'm Going to start with 10 Deep.  Based out of NY, their lines drastically change every season and never let me down.  One of the main reasons I like 10 Deep is because they have a real "tough guy" attitude.  Many of their designs feature women, brass knuckles, and their logo with giant 'X's.  Their lines are typical of Streetwear, T-shirts, Fitteds, Hoodies, and Jeans.  They also release mixtapes with different artists such as rapper Wale.

 

Next on the list...

Mishka is another New York based Streetwear company with a different outlook than any other brand on the list.  They focus on DJ, metal, horror, and punk culture.  Many of their designs have a dark feel to them, due to their focus on the occult and obscure.  They are beginning to receive a lot more attention recently and I imagine that will continue.  They now have two other stores besides their flagship NYC store; one in Japan and one in LA. Mishka is on the rise, be ready.

Onto The Next...

G-Shock is not typical in the Streetwear realm.  They focus only on one thing: Watches.  A branch of Casio which has really made a name for itself in the streetwear market.  You'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the streetwear game without one of these watches.  You may be asking yourself how a company like Casio stay so relevant?  They have a trick up their sleeve: Collaborations with major artists and companies known throughout Streetwear such as Dee and Ricky.

 Now, for something completely different...

 

Undefeated is one the best Streetwear brands in the game.  Their focus on winning, sports, and being the best fit my personality perfectly.  They are one of the best and they certainly aren't afraid to say it, or throw it in your face as they like to do.  They have a variety of different clothing items and release a collaboration with a shoe company every season, which always sell out immediately.  Their gear can be hard to cop though, it sells out quickly so if you want something, get it as fast as possible.

Finally...

 

Supra is a company which focuses primarily on shoes, they sell hoodies and t-shirts as well, but their shoes are their main attraction.  Personally, I have three pairs in the closet as I write this.  They have a variety of styles to fit everyone, from flashy gold shoes to your standard high-tops and low-tops, they got you covered.  They are my favorite shoe company and never disappoint with their new lines. 

Video In The Clothing Industry

Video and the clothing company may not seem to mesh together at first look, but if you take a second to think about it how many times do you see say a Macys or Target commercial? Pretty often, some would say too often (I can be lumped in with the latter).  However, I am completely uninterested in what they are selling, so what about the independent clothing company?  How can they utilize video to their advantage?  Well, Mishka decided to make a commercial, which was on websites such as Hypebeast.com and Highsnobiety.com:

 

That’s clearly a commercial for Mishka, a commercial Lookbook, pretty much sums it up.  There was that Adidas commercial with all of the stars, which gained a lot of front page press, but what about a smaller company which can’t afford big ticket celebritites like Beckham?  UNDFTD out of LA would tell you that not all celebrities are mainstream, but can still reflect your brand:

 

Both of these videos portray different things entirely.  Undefeated’s new slogan is Play Dirty, which goes hand in hand with their brand.  Many of their shirts are sports related and sport phrases like “Sportsmanship is Bulls**t” and things of that nature.  It is a reminder and a call to action to have fun and do whatever it is that you do.  Mishka’s commercial is a little more standard and just shows a girl having fun jumpin around wearing their gear.  It goes well with their brand though and is an approach, not often utilized by independent clothing companies.

Social Media In The Clothing Industry

Social media in the clothing industry is extremely robust.  Between Twitter and Facebook, they let you know when their new lines are coming out, what event’s their hosting or attending, who else they like, some even have Blogs which help convert their brand from a simple clothing company into a Lifestyle brand.  They link their Twitter and Facebook to help reach people on all platforms.  Not everyone utilizes Twitter and believe it or not, not everyone utilizes Facebook.  However, in an industry based on the streamline and being the first in the know, many Streetwear enthusiasts are always on the cutting edge. 

If you take a look at Mishka NYC they are able to make a simple, I am using simple loosely here, clothing company into a major name in Streetwear and amongst ‘hipsters.’  They have a blog, twitter, facebook group, as well as a ‘person’ on facebook.  Utilizing all of these materials they are able to have uniformity throughout their brand.  There is a certain way they talk, promote their media, and portray their brand.  They have even gone so far as to begin their own record label to promote bands, which tie in to their brand.  They also work with other clothing brands and artists, which share the same beliefs and values.  Mishka also targets the cyclists.  Being based in NYC they have started a line specifically for those who commute or ride bicycles for fun. They call it D.A.R.T.  They also release mixtapes featuring well-known DJ’s and artists.  They take their brand from something you simply wear into something you live on a daily basis.  That is how they are so successful and in this recession were able to continue to power forward and expand from one brick and mortar store into three: NYC, LA, and Japan.

Now, using all this social media, how can you measure whether or not it is effective and even how effective it is.  One way is to email a survey when someone purchases something online, figure out how they heard about your brand.  Another way is to simply see how many people will ‘attend’ your events by a facebook invitation.  I know I always respond to Mishka’s event invitations, personally.  Host an event and announce it solely on Twitter.  You can see how many people will show up or even respond to it.  Make it so they need a password and if they respond you will PST it. Have exclusive sales available only to twitter users, another page out of Mishka’s book.  They hold exclusive sales in which only twitter users receive the code to use on their checkout.  Something as simply as measuring hits on your website when you have a new social marketing campaign.

Clothing and Advertisement

In the clothing industry, the introduction of the internet has revolutionized the way smaller labels conduct business.  The artists of different areas are now known worldwide, the major revolution that has begun over the past two years has been online distribution.  Clothing labels no longer need to rely on getting their brands in major retailers across the United States.  Online distro’s such as www.karmaloop.com, www.cmonwealth.com and www.caliroots.com make it easier for less known niche market clothing companies to get their product into their buyer’s arms without having to worry about the expense of a brick and mortar store.  It has allowed labels with a very particular market to reach that market quickly and efficiently.  It also spans the world, clothing labels such as Original Fake may not be located in the United States but are able to ship and sell to them as if they are across the street.  This is something, which has never been possible before and is quickly becoming the norm in business.

One company that is constantly changing the way independent clothing labels function is Karmaloop.  They are not a clothing company themselves, but they are a distributor of a multitude of independent and non-mainstream clothing companies.  If you talk to anyone who knows about streetwear they will know the name of Karmaloop.  They do not market to the mainstream; you may see a banner ad here and there on hypebeast.com or on Google when you search ‘streetwear.’ But they do effectively integrate into multiple different platforms.  They have blogs, which feature some of the labels they carry, as well as shoe companies and things of the nature.  They also have an iPhone app, which allows you to browse their store on the go.

There are a multitude of digital trends that affect my company today I will be discussing three: aggregators, online stores and blogs.  First: aggregators.  Aggregators such as www.hypebeast.com and www.highsnobiety.com give smaller clothing companies a place to preview and create buzz about their new products and lines.  Many clothing companies utilize these tools to help release teasers, video’s and upcoming projects.  They offer a free way to market your product through creative means.  Your given an opportunity to advertise, for free, your upcoming clothing line.  The best part about it is, that the only people looking are people who are actually interested in your product and what you have to say.  It is an ideal situation.  Next, the online store is the best way to give access to your consumer base. You don’t need to be located in a specific city anymore.  You can reach your customers all over the globe, which allows you to market internationally and have an extremely diverse market.  Finally, blogs allow you to market towards someone without blatantly marketing towards them.  Lifestyle brands are one of the latest and greatest things and it allows you to connect to your client base without screaming in their faces.  They allow your consumer to feel a connection with your brand, which in turn, allows you to slowly introduce more of your products into their life.