Married To The MOB: It's The Real Official

Streetwear, much like the music biz, is heavily a man's world.  But stricly for the ladies streetwear brand, Married To The MOB (Most Official Bitches) has risen to the top thanks to dope designs, clever slogans, and an aesthetic that appeals to the core of the female experience.  "All girls can relate to the brand,"  MTTM's Lourdes Castro told us.  "I don't care who you are, deep down inside every girl is proud to call themselves a most official bitch."

We sent RH contributor Alexa Thompson on a mission to get the specifics on the MTTM brand, what makes a "Most Official Bitch", and much more.  Read on to see why it's ladies night all day everyday for this NYC-based brand that went from a Chelsea apartment to the top of the Empire State Building. 

RubyHornet:  Before all the fun questions, tell us  a little bit about yourself and your background at MTTM.

MTTM: Originally from the DC area, I moved to NYC in '05 after graduating from college with a BA in Fashion Merchandising. Proud owner of a Bitches That Booze tee, I read on the MOB website that Leah was looking for help during the day and I knew it was my calling! I was working nights peddling cigarettes at bars in the LES, and had my days free, so it was perfect for me. I emailed Leah, and pretty soon I was at Leah's apt on Spring St, shipping boxes from her living room, beefing with fedex drivers and evil post mistresses. Soon we turned her grandma's Chelsea studio into the makeshift MOB office, painted it pink, got evicted, then moved the office to a spare bedroom in Leah's new crib in Tribeca. A few years and many collaborations later MOB started blowing up and we moved into a real deal office on floor 66 of the Empire State Building. Now not only do we have a full cut & sew line of clothing , a full staff, and a warehouse, we easily have the sickest view of NYC.

RubyHornet:  How would you define a Most Official Bitch? Who are some of your favorite misbehaving bitches?

MTTM:  I would define a MOB as a smart, fun, outspoken female- always on their grind, never afraid to speak their mind. Some of my favorite  misbehaving bitches include Pam Grier, Zoe Lund, Blanche Devereaux, Joan of  Arc, and Shannen Doherty.

RubyHornet:  Other than Leah's story on how she started MOB, in what other ways has NYC served as a backdrop or served as inspiration to MOB?

MTTM:  Living and working day to day in NYC, you can't help but be  inspired by your surroundings. There's so much stimulation, interaction, so  much going on around you at all times. Life in NYC definitely shapes the way you think, how you react to situations, and teaches you how to keep focused.  It's impossible not to find inspiration here. From the t-slogans and graphics, naming styles, organizing photo shoots and MOB parties, NYC is ingrained in MOB's every step.

RubyHornet:  Do you see street wear as a fad or a phase that  many people just go through and snap out of one day or is it more than that?

MTTM:  For sure, streetwear has become a fad, a phase for many, with  a million t-lines, streetwear blogs, and sneaker/streetwear boutiques opening  (and closing) out of nowhere the past few years. Streetwear has been able to reach consumers who were never exposed to it, or never cared to expose themselves to it. But for most I would say it's always been, and will always be more of a way of life, as corny as that sounds! I dunno, I grew up scouring thrift  stores for vintage Nike and Adidas pieces, taking road trips to NY to buy kicks I couldn't find at Foot Locker in VA. I was wearing what my skater friends were wearing, what I saw my friends wearing at raves. Before ebay, blogs, and limited edition sneakers, you had to go out and search for a sick outfit, like you did music. It was fun and challenging. Now anybody with internet access can go online, read hypebeast and buy some Nikes and a limited edition tee. The clothes aren't necessarily correlated to any subculture or underground music scene anymore. Streetwear has branched off and become its own subculture. I'm not hating, if it hadn't become so big, MOB wouldn’t be what it is today. I've always pretty much rocked the same steez since the elementary school days till now and I'm 28. So for me no, def not a fad, just really how I feel comfortable dressing.

RubyHornet: MOB started off as mainly tees and hoodies, but you guys are now showing us some more styles including skirts, jeans, swimwear, and dresses. Also, recently your kiss logo got a  little update. With these evolutions, can we expect a full line equipped with jewelry, bags, accessories, etc?

MTTM:  You can expect all that and then some.

RubyHornet:  What is it that sets MOB apart from other brands; you guys are basically a street wear phenom, us ladies love you!

MTTM:  Aside from being the first, our collaborations keep us ahead of the game and continue to expose MOB to consumers other street wear lines are unable to reach. That and the fact all girls can relate to the brand. I don't care who you are, deep down inside every girl is proud to call themselves a most official bitch.

RubyHornet:  Do you think MOB will ever branch off into a men's line or is it going to be strictly for the ladies?

MTTM:  Never! MOB will always and  forever be strictly for the ladies!

RubyHornet:  Past collaborations with MOB have included Krink, Kaws, and even French lifestyle boutique, Colette. How do you decide who you want to collaborate with? Is it a group effort or have you  guys been the ones approached first?

MTTM:  We are always approached  first. Leah has a close relationship with Colette so they were able to hook us up with the Reebok and MCM collabs. We are currently in the works for some  pretty heavy duty collabs coming in 2010. MOB fans will not be disappointed!

RubyHornet:  In the past, MOB has released a shoe with Reebok as well as with Nike, and they proved to be great successes. Are there any more shoe collaborations in the future or maybe just a line of MOB shoes?

MTTM:  We  have some very exciting projects coming up, I'm just going to leave it at  that!

RubyHornet:  With lines like MOB, Hellz Bellz, and Alife all having women influences, what do you think are the driving forces of the female emergence in street wear, or do you think there always has been a strong presence of women in the game?

MTTM:  I would say the driving force of the female emergence in streetwear is MOB. Us along with the sudden popularity of streetwear in general. We were the first and paved the way for other female streetwear lines to fulfill the growing demand of ladies tees in the male dominated market.

RubyHornet:  Tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the clever slogans that MOB has come up with. How do you decide which ones get printed on the gear?

MTTM:  MOB t-slogans of the past have included lyrics from artists such as Lil' Kim, Deee-lite, Wu-Tang, Jenny Holtzer, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, and Tabatha's mom. The sayings for the most part are inspired by  strong females and New York City. Sometimes a saying or a twist on a saying just pops into one of our heads that just screams MOB. If Leah likes it, it usually ends up on a shirt.

RubyHornet:  Any sneak peeks or hints for the Fall collection or campaign?

MTTM:  The Fall 2 line drops October 1st. I can't  give you any peeks just yet, but I will say it's sexier and more sophisticated  than our previous collections.

RubyHornet:  Besides MOB, what other brands are  you usually rocking?

MTTM:  I just blew a s**t ton of money on veneers and a scam artist psychic, so Forever 21 has provided me with most of my wardrobe as of late. But I'm usually rockin' MOB all day everyday.

RubyHornet:  Who would you like to see wearing MOB that you haven't already?

MTTM:  Taylor Swift. She is so cute! Hillary Clinton, oh and Jenny McCarthy. I love her.

RubyHornet:  What are three things a MOB cannot live without?

MTTM:  I can only speak for myself and those around me, but this Most Official Bitch cannot live without my friends, my ghetto ass cell phone,  and a nice bottle of wine.

RubyHornet:  What music is usually on rotation at the  office?

MTTM:  The rotation usually includes the following: Britney,  Madonna, Lil Kim, Deee-lite, Hole, Dancehall, Lost Boyz, Diamond D, Roy Ayers funk, soul, jazz you name it. We take turns voting for artists we want to hear on  Pandora. At the moment our designer Maru is feeling nostalgia for her middle school days, so right now we are listening to some Puerto Rican indie rock band from the mid 90's.

RubyHornet:  I know the MOB girls have a strong affinity for Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, do you think that's a collaboration that could ever be possible?

MTTM:  As ground breaking as that would be, I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility. Karl is an avid Colette shopper, I bet you he already rocks MOB on the low.
 

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