MITC Posh is an all-black, high-fashion clothing company launched by Virginia native Krystal Hawkins. Hawkins gained major traction with the 2016 MITC Posh summer collection. The collection was dedicated to the Rio Olympics, which America swept all other countries in medal counts. Hawkins is preparing to go for gold again with the unveiling of the 2017 MITC Posh Black History Month collection.
Fashion and hip-hop have always had a unique relationship. In the early ’80s, Run-D.M.C. broke barriers with their partnership with adidas, and FILA’s were a ‘hood classic that all the major players wore back in the day. How did these examples influence your decision to come out with your own clothing brand?
Back in the day, you had Dapper Dan who was creating custom pieces, then you had what Damon did with FUBU and when LL Cool J was wearing it everywhere. These are two are major influences that I look up to when I’m trying to build. I’m trying to do the same thing, just in my own unique way.
How did you come up with the name MITC Posh?
I’m actually from the country, so the acronym, MITC stands for “Made In The Country.” I added the Posh because it’s luxury street-wear. A lot of people usually say that people from the country are behind on fashion so I wanted to prove that notion wrong by creating a clothing line that blends two elements of fashion together.
In 2015, Fetty Wap was seen wearing your MITC Posh line. Talk about your initial reaction when you noticed that celebrities were starting to take heed to your clothing line?
Seeing Fetty Wap in one of the shirts was big. It’s a couple of people who’ve really gravitated toward the clothing line. Kyle O’Quinn from The New York Knicks is another person who wears MITC Posh. People tend to support when they see that this is a Black-owned company, which is a great thing.
You will be releasing a line dedicated to Black History Month. The red, and black colorways are reminiscent of Public Enemy and even Death Row Records. What were some of the playlist that you were listening to while coming up with your latest collection?
Definitely Jay Z. I’m feeling like the ultimate hustler when I’m listening to Jay Z. I listen to Kanye too, and I may listen to The Whispers just to get a certain feeling of me being at a cookout. Jay Z is the first artist that I go to as soon as I start designing.
If you could work with three designers, who would you work with and why?
I would definitely work with Tee and Exclusive Gang. He’s making jackets for Lebron, Ross and Gotti. He’s killing fashion right now and I would love to work with him on a custom piece with MITC Posh. I would also love to work with Virgil Abloh and Off-White. Virgil went from Pyrex, to Off-White and that’s rare for a black designer to be able to make such a leap in the industry. He’s putting out very dope collections. I’ve never something like that before.
The Black History Month collection will be released in full on Feb. 17, 2017. Yanna Watts is the featured model in the photo above. Visit the MITC Posh website and check out the year two collection.
