Former creator of ICNY, Mike Cherman now uses Chinatown Market to bootleg classic pop-culture logos, adding his personal twist along the way. We stocked Chinatown market in the past, but re-introduced the brand in the summer of 2019. Cherman’s Chinatown Market channels the essence of New York’s very own Canal St! New York’s culture is very fast-paced and unique in expression. It is the bootleg capital of the world. Bootleg products are the antithesis of exclusive.
Chinatown Market creates whimsical graphics & has its own creative attitude. Chinatown Market was originally created with cyclists and motorists in mind as Cherman is an avid cyclist.
Cherman is big on business over ego. He once stated “I want my [staff] to go through the same trajectory that I did, so they can understand not only how to make a product, but how to ship it, how to warehouse it, how to do all these things & empowers them to have the chance to fail a little bit so they can learn & get better.” He didn’t want his employees to work for his establishment forever, and to more so focus on growth & ability to flex creative muscles.
Chinatown Market creates eye catching graphics with a laidback streetwear attitude. “I just find that in streetwear the idea of exclusivity, and the idea of stuff that you can’t get your hands on was half the novelty of it,” Said Cherman. By adding a twist on his bold print with playful slogans the pieces are not labeled as counterfeit. With the amusing smiley face logo, Cherman also stated “you gotta control your smiles & cries because that's all you have & nobody can take that away from you.”
