Mossimo
Graphic tees still rule the world, yet not all are built the same. In the 1990s—early 2000s, a few streetwear companies produced some of the most playful and modern-designed tees. Some of these are still in production and on top of their respective games, but some are now just iconic relics that vintage heads can’t take their hands off of. One of these iconic vintage brands is Mossimo.
Many of you may know this brand from when your family took you shopping at Target (yes, it was owned by Target at one point), but its true swagger started way before it hit those racks. A time when its main competitor was the legendary brand Stussy. This article is going to explore Mossimo’s life cycle and some of the awesome tees that the brand has produced.
Mossimo’s Circle of Life
Mossimo was started in 1986 by Mossimo Giannulli. It was originally known for its neon beach volleyball apparel. The brand blew up within the first few years on the market and then started to transition into producing more sweatshirts, knits, and T-shirts.
The brand was blowing up. It had surpassed selling in surf stores and was now seeing itself land in major retailers around the country. After six years in business, the brand had amassed 52 employees and over $32 million in sales. After ten years, the number of people working for the company grew six-fold, and the company went public with an IPO that shocked the entire market. Ending the day with the second-most active IPO on the NYSE.
Eventually, the hype around Mossimo died down, and the company was falling from the peaks that it had climbed. In 2000, Mossimo was bought out by Target, where it would go on to produce generic apparel that did a decent job of encapsulating the Y2K style at some points. Again, the brand was sold to the Iconix Brand Group in 2006 and has continued selling its products through Target in select countries to this day. Nowadays, its clothing has more of a streetwear style that connects with its past productions in the 1990s and 2000s.
Mossimo Graphic T-Shirts
In the 1990s, when the brand was changing its style, it created some pieces that would be resold above the retail price point, most notably, its graphic t-shirts. This was the time when it was Stussy’s main competitor, and you can see why through the photos. The graphics had a more creative, rebellious nature to them, which pioneered what many people see today in streetwear. Some have described it as having a cartoon style similar to JNCO.
It is easy to see why people within the vintage community hold this brand so dearly. Mossimo was able to roll out so many pieces that have helped pave the way for modern graphic design on t-shirts. There are so many more around the web that are not seen in this post, so go check it out for yourself and get your hands on a piece from this truly iconic brand.