Business of HYPE
Mike Cherman Talks Chinatown Market and all things bootleg
Host: Jeff Staple
In collaboration with: Bryght Young Things
Director: Daniel Navetta
Producer: Jade Chung/Hypebeast
Editor: Robert Marshall/Hypebeast
On episode 05 of Business of HYPE, Jeff sits down with designer and entrepreneur Mike Cherman, best-known as the founder of ICNY and Chinatown Market.
“The reality is,” says Mike, “that many people sit out there and say your brand dies when you go to Urban. It’s like, ‘Cool. Enjoy making no money for the rest of your life. Be cool—that’s great, fuck off.’” When commenters on Instagram and HYPEBEAST say that Chinatown Market “died” when it landed on shelves in UO retailers nationwide, Cherman retorts: “I’ve been in Urban since the first collection. So if that means I’m dead, I’ve been dead since day one.”