Image via Complex Original
These days, just getting a streetwear brand off the ground and gaining some momentum can be considered a serious accomplishment. But to build a brand that is consistently producing highly-coveted product over the course of a decade is a serious feat that not many have been able to achieve. Mighty Healthy launched in 2004, and through dedication to the brand's vision, it has seen more than its share of wild moments, lessons learned the hard way, and creations that have resonated widely with an audience that's stayed hungry for more.
Founder Ray Mate has a decade under his belt, and he was generous enough to share his personal favorite products, wisdom gained, and good times had while running a brand that has helped shape the streetwear landscape since the label launched. If you're a fan of the label and want to hear straight from the head honcho, or you want to see what goes into running a successful brand for over a decade, then peep Mighty Healthy Founder Ray Mate Breaks Down the Best Moments from the Brand's First 10 Years.
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2004
"NY is for Haters was one of our original designs that got Mighty Healthy attention. Gino Iannucci was helping out a bit by wearing the gear so we could get some shine."
2005
"The famed Dave's Quality Meats was one of our first stockists. We also sold to Nom De Guerre and Huf SF, which was huge."
2006
"Real Eyes Realize Real Lies became one of Mighty's favorite tees next to the Listen to Ghostface tee. At this point we were doing trade shows in Las Vegas and selling the brand in the Campground section. This was the year I met Johnny Cupcakes in person for the first time, and we used to talk during the day over iChat about selling tees and graphics."
2007
"The Hundreds x Mighty collab was an exclusive for their Rosewood store, and very exciting to be a part of. Mighty started selling tees at the Funk Master Flex car show, which was huge. Also, Nick Diamond used to come back and forth to NY to hang with us around this time. We also did a Mighty x DC Shoe, the Striker. Believe it or not this was one of their top sellers."
2008
"Mike Jones did this Brooklyn Diner concept, T-Bone Steak Chees Eggs and Welch's Grape. Yes we did it first in '08 so fall back."
2009
"123Klan did some characters for us that we sold in our online store. I was determined to make Mighty that brand. This was the year DJ Soul and Mighty teamed up to do parties at 105 Rivington. Big Fun was one of the best parties in LES. Clothing-wise, we introduced cut and sew plus denim that year."
2010
"Thanks to my pal Steven Vogel, Garbstore worked with us on creating a capsule collection for Garbstore only. Also, before the whole pop-up shop craze started, Mighty was doing them in NY, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco around this time. We were a little early."
2011
"I was a fan of Etnies ever since Natas skated for them. I had a chance to design a Califas boot which featured a Vibram sole. Shoe brands were not doing that yet. Also, a bit early."
2012
"Our New York hat has been in our line since 2009 and Joey Bada$$ was caught rocking it in his 'Waves' video. Hip Hop in New York started to get some momentum and Joey Bada$$ was a big part of that movement."
2013
"Russ is one of the best artists to come out of NY and I was excited to do something with him. Ssur was one of the stores I used to visit to pick up Natural Born and Ssur on Mulberry. This New York cap is still one of my favorite pieces to wear."
2014
"I have known Mega for a pretty long time. He ran the Huf SF shops when they were on Sutter. This is actually our fourth collab we did together for Mighty. Mega has come a long way with Black Scale."
