Los Angeles-based streetwear label Chinatown Market was named as a tribute to bustling Canal Street in New York - near the city's Chinatown - but don't expect the brand to sell you anything typically Chinese. "I've had companies ask us to make rice bowls and chopsticks," says founder Michael Cherman.
Michael Cherman
For the 28-year-old designer and owner of Chinatown Market, streetwear has always been a way to connect with other people. Born and raised in the Jewish suburbs of New York, he experienced the culture shock of his life when he moved to San Diego, California, in high school. Skate brands, people in Old School Vans, tight jeans and new streetwear stores popping up opened his eyes to a whole new way of being in the world. So his way in? Making T-shirts himself and selling them out of the trunk of his car.
Now he is the founder and owner of Chinatown Market, an LA streetwear brand run by dreamers, cool kids and misfits. Chinatown Market is more than a streetwear brand, it is a community. His first venture was ICNY - a community of passionate young creatives looking for acceptance, inspiration and self-expression in their clothes. It is a community Cherman tried to find when he was making clothes with printer paper as a teenager in California.
Despite all his setbacks, failed attempts and breakthrough moments, Cherman is now not only the mentor and leader he always wanted to be, but also the person he always needed for himself. This is how he got here.
Collabs
Although Chinatown has grown enormously on its own, its collaborations with other companies have also had a big impact on that growth. The company has worked with brands such as: The Hundreds, Puma, Lacoste, Mike Tyson and many more.
The collab with Puma was one of the first big collaborations Chinatown Market managed to land; together they created the Puma Ralph Samson Chinatown Market in black and in white. What made this shoe so popular was that the logo could be swapped thanks to its Velcro back. So when you buy the shoes, you get 3 different logos.
