IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BOYS BEHIND WALL STREET MAFIA
In celebration of Wall Street Mafia’s latest drop, we thought it was only right we sat down and chopped it up with Haroun, Kehinde, Moses and Teni - the boys behind the brand taking the underground by storm.
By no means has it been a linear journey to establish the brand, it’s been a series of ups and downs that have seen the brand becoming more than just that, for the four and all their supporters too, WSM is a lifestyle, a mindset.
I quizzed Haroun, who initially started the ‘brand’ himself, about where the choice of name came from. “I was just playing about with designs and stuff” he confesses, before he and Moses sat down and began to talk through ideas. Coming from the exploration of playing on the white collar job, the focus was about what was happening from five to nine, opposed to nine to five as he believed that’s what really defined you, not the job you might do in order to make your money.
Why Mafia you might ask? The answer is simple. Some say “Gang”, “Family”, but for WSM, “Mafia” just felt right. It mightn’t sound as friendly and inviting as “Family”, but rest assured, Wall Street Mafia is a platform for creativity of all kinds.
Later down the line came Teni and Kehinde, who became the final pieces for a formidable team. “It’s like a marriage”: they all agree it’s not been smooth sailing but because of a shared vision, open communication and trust, building something together has been a majorly positive experience.
Regular meetings have also been essential for the team. Although you can tell they’re a bubbly group to be around, they realise that there must be times where they are serious, in order for the brand to progress to the elevated - but not unrealistic - heights they project. It means that ideas are constantly being brought to the forefront and is why WSM has an impressive portfolio of pieces.
“The supply might be slow, but the ideas aren’t” - and they aren’t lying when they say that, a potential new idea for an item they could stock comes up just as we sit around listening to music and talking about life.
It’s their way - they never truly switch off from their environment, always looking to seek inspiration from all that surrounds them. A lot of inspiration, however, comes from looking inwardly, at each other. Countless stories are told of how someone’s graft has spurred the group on to do something greater than first intended
Kehinde gives his personal testimony, as a young child he confesses he was “on smash”, but a compilation video Moses had made of his summer meant Kehinde was documenting everything as soon as he got his camcorder, “out here like mad” trying to make people feel the way he felt when he watched Moses’ video.
There’s a moment of silence and all at the same time, they seem to remember where Teni, who I must mention was wearing UNC Off White Jordan 1s - a shoe and a half - took responsibility and was vital in pulling the other boys “out the mud”. Imagine the scene:
After a manufacturer had sent a product they knew wasn’t good enough, you can imagine they weren’t feeling too great - further compounded by the fact that they had put a lot of their hard earned money into this drop.
“The group chat was silent for the longest it’s ever been” and it seemed the boys were unsure how best to move forward from this sticky patch they were in. Teni, who usually doesn’t do much photography, went out and shot some stuff.
30+ attachments in the group chat later, and the boys were revitalised, the initiative Teni had taken spurred them on to not wallow in disappointment for too long, but just to handle the situation and move forward.
At this point now, WSM are unstoppable, not even the Big C and a global pandemic can halt the boys. There’s a nonchalance about the prospect of the current climate slowing them down - they simply will not let it happen. Their confidence isn’t misplaced, it’s come after an intense amount of grafting. It’s confidence, not arrogance for sure, they’re all very humble, driven and motivated, citing the fact that they’re “not gone yet” as their reason to keep their foot on the pedal.
My favourite piece of their extensive catalogue - I know you mighn’t care for my opinion, but I’m the writer, so you’re just going to have to deal with it - was definitely the F&F Black bottoms. Although they were sold out before I could get a pair (Bring them back boys), they were the item I saw that really made me keep an eye out for the brand, the monogram design was exciting, the loose joggers really played within a space that felt like accessible luxury.
But this isn’t about me. I asked the boys what their favourite piece was and whilst there were a few opinions, the trucker hat seemed to be a general favourite: the ‘For the Pain’ motto embroidered on the side tells a story of a trip the boys took to Oslo. Special mentions also went to the silk scarf, playing in that space of accessible luxury (Great minds, great minds) opened their eyes to how many different ways a scarf might be worn.
Whilst still elementary in their journey, they shared some of their learnings, and most prominently was the fact that “just doing it” was the first step, but the step that most stumble at. Whilst it meant that they’d be sitting in exams worrying about a drop at seven, it kept them going through tough uni subjects. Building a team was also important, as well as “doing the googling”. Follow those three steps, and you might just be on your way to exciting people the same way WSM excites me.
The future is bright for Wall Street Mafia, and we’re glad to be a part of a journey that is due to encounter boundless success. “More Everything”: their answer when asked about their plan for the future. They take great pride in being a tangible brand, existing in the real world as well as the internet, their numerous events being a testament to that.
We look forward to seeing much more from WSM, and will be eagerly hoping we can get our hands on their latest drop. If like me, you’re looking to cop, two words of advice: don’t lack.