Madhappy

By Hayden Lu

 

A streetwear brand, Madhappy, was founded by four men named Noah Raf, Mason Spector, Peiman Raf, and Josh Sitt in 2017. Noah and Peiman are brothers, Mason was a good friend of theirs, and Josh was a roommate of a friend. The four teenagers were only in high school when they started this brand. Their motivation was to spread positivity to their customers. Peiman mentions what their goal is for Madhappy to CFDA, “to create products and experiences that uplift people physically, mentally and spiritually.” Believing that most streetwear companies lacked self-positivity, Madhappy would be a brand that would spread awareness of mental health. 

 

But what exactly is mental health? To me, mental health is the emotional and physical part of your brain that can react in a negative or positive way. Having a stable mental health means being able to go to school and hang out with friends even if you have some obstacles along the way. Madhappy was created to be aware of the harsh impact mental illness can have upon us and “uplifting each other in the process,” (The Local Optimist).

 

Mason Spector also mentioned that he felt depressed in college and wanted to drop out. I feel like this was what motivated their whole company to be surrounded by mental health. They wanted to acknowledge the effects that mental health can have on one’s self. He believed that the brand would be a great place to express those negative into positive ones throughout their clothing. This would be so others wouldn’t feel what Spector was going through. They wanted Madhappy to be a brand where everyone could feel safe and not judged. In the beginning, Madhappy wasn’t supposed to be a clothing brand, apparel was just one part of it. “Madhappy is more than clothing, it’s a lifestyle choice and it’s a community. We are equally eager to share our stories as we are to hear new ones,” Noah Raf says in an interview with L’officiel. Raf mentions how they love to share their stories too other than clothing. What does he mean by this? Well, Madhappy also has a blogging part of their website called Local Optimist where they talk about the recent news that is affecting people’s mental health. 

 

Nevertheless, in the year of 2019, an immense investment was made by LVMH. LVMH is the largest luxury brand seller including Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. Madhappy received $1.8 million of funding from LVMH. Which is a lot of money considering they just started this brand two years ago. They were noticed because of the many celebrities wearing their hoodies and t-shirts such as Bella Hadid, Cardi B, and Madison Beer, and their distinct stitching on the side of the hood, which I think is a very unique detail. Lastly, with this fortunate investment from LVMH, Madhappy was able to open up many more stores and pop-ups around the US including New York, Aspen, and many other cities. 

 

These Madhappy shops are not your typical streetwear brand clothing store, and I know this because I have been to two of their locations. To me, when I entered the pop-up store in Aspen, Colorado, it felt like I just entered an art exhibit. The fun, pastel colors of the walls and clothing made the room feel extremely welcoming. The Los Angeles store had a similar ambiance to it. Every corner of this store was an opportunity to take a photo. Compared to many other streetwear stores, Madhappy will never make you feel judged or uncomfortable once you take a step into one of their stores. This brand is still a brand new company and will continue to please us in the future.