Ever
since its inception in the '80s, the upper-echelon streetwear industry
has been running deep in testosterone. From Stussy to Supreme, the world's
most exclusive t-shirt lines have primarily been FMBM - for men, by men.
Enter New York's very own MTTM aka Married to the Mob. Backed by Leah
Christine McSweeney (left) and Sharon Coyne (right), the MOB girls have
infiltrated the clandestine trade with the first-ever female-driven and
catered t-shirt line.
MTTM's first season was a runaway success. Their balls-out (literally
and figuratively) business tactics and hard-edged graphics made a noisy
splash in the high-end streetwear market. A cover feature in Being Hunted
magazine, and placement in elite street boutiques worldwide (In4mation,
Union, Colette to name a few) were apparently just the tip of the iceberg,
as the girls prepare to launch into the much-anticipated second season.
Married to the Mob, the sequel, coming to a store near you...
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So
you guys have come a long way in just a few months… why do you think
MTTM made such an impact in the industry?
We
made such an impact because we are the only girls in the scene doing it..!
Point taken. Explain your relationship with the Retail Mafia (aNYthing, alife, Priceless, J-Money). For those who don’t know, what is it exactly?
Retail Mafia (RM)is just a bunch of NYC designers that are friends/associates that look out for each other. MTTM brings the female aspect and drama to the RM. We help keep downtown flavorful.
Along with all the attention, come the haters, ya?
HAHA…Basically, people don’t sit around and say nice things about people. That is just boring. We know this. We find this stuff incredibly entertaining. Who doesn’t love to read shit about themselves. You know Paris has a subscription to US Weekly. We assume that 80% of the people on Supertalk (an online message-board which has hosted much MTTM discussion) are 14 year old hillbillies that haven’t a clue of what’s going on.
A
lot of the attention – positive AND negative – comes from
the fact that you’re a couple of GIRLS, in a traditionally 100%
male-dominant game. Why is this so upsetting? Are these dudes threatened?
It’s
upsetting because a lot of people have been doing this for years and haven’t
made as much noise as we have in 9 months. We would be pissed too. I don’t
think they are threatened...we don’t sell men’s clothes…we
don’t cater to their market...they are just mad because of the shine
we get. Oh well.
Fashion is stereotypically a female-streamlined industry, so why is there such a blatant NO GIRLS policy in street fashion? It seems almost taboo for a popular men’s streetwear line to venture into women’s clothing…
We don’t know why these guys are so anti-female. But that is fine with us. We are more then happy to fill the void. But now, watch...in the next few months, let’s see how many girls come out of the wood-work with tee shirt lines that attempt to compete with us.
Speakin’
of which, how is the female customer responding to your gear? MTTM is
treading on new territory, so I’m sure your demographic is cautious
..are girls catching on?
The girls love our shit. It’s like nothing else that’s out
there. It’s not about girls catching on. These girls have been waiting
for this. The bitches that wear our shit know what time it is.
What
else is next for MTTM?
Big things. Big things.
for more on Married to the Mob, visit:
www.marriedtothemobnyc.com
MARRIED
TO THE MOB'S
TOPS
TOP
5 Places to eat in New York
1. Masuya
2. Mermaid Inn
3. Casa
4. Schiller’s
5. Taco Bell on Delancy
TOP
5 favorite lines
1. Balenciaga
2. YSL
3. alife
4. Rick Owens
5. Dinero [also don’t sleep on the clothing section at National
Wholesale Liquidators]
TOP
5 albums you’re listening to
1. Lil’ Kim- Hardcore
2. Mobb Deep- Infamous
3. Dr. Dre- The Chronic
4. Wu-Tang- 36 Chambers
5. Reggea Gold- 1992
Best
thing about being the only girls in a boys-only club??
Being the only girls!