Maurice Malone Denim
Maurice Malone Denim was one of the more expensive brands of clothing I started buying way back in the day when I had one of those “disposable incomes” you get from running the streets and slingin’ drugs.
There were plenty of brands out there, especially around that time in the 90’s when all the rappers decided to start making their own brand of clothing once they saw Karl Kani blow up.
Most of those “rapper brands” were nothing special besides a rapper owned the clothing label. Most were horribly made, ugly as shit and way too expensive to waste hard-earned drug money on.
There were a few good-looking brands like Pelle Pelle, Wu-Wear, and the OG Karl Kani who opened the floodgates for the rappers & their clothing lines, but Maurice Malone stood out to me personally.
I’m not a “loud” person. I like to play the background, not be seen or heard. I don’t like to draw attention to myself, especially when I’m breaking the law. And this is why I gravitated towards the Maurice Malone gear when I found it back in the day at the old Gallery on Market Street.
The Maurice Malone gear was fly but subtle. Clean, sharp denim jeans & jackets that didn’t give you a headache when you look at it. All the hustlers were rocking MM (Maurice Malone), Karl Kani and Pelle Pelle. I think Iceberg Jeans came out around the same time or shortly after but that’s another story for another day.
Anyway, the MM gear was different than all the rest. high quality denim with the white logo seam (or whatever you call it) on the bottom of the legs and on the inside of the fly when you unzip it (for the hoes).
Those denim sets I bought lasted forever too. Well-made, high quality and even though they were a bit too expensive for the time, well worth the price. The MM denim jeans & matching denim jacket and a fitted w/some Timberlands and you were shining.
Back then we looked to the Source Magazine for all the newest, flyest shit coming out and sure enough the Maurice Malone gear was in there along with a couple other heavy hitters. If you were in The Source you were official. That was the law back then.
Now it’s all skinny jeans, spandex denim and unisex weirdo clothing.
Anyway, the background…
Maurice Malone, often referred to as the “Steve Jobs of denim,” was named one of Rivet magazine’s Top Denim Designers for 2020. A self-taught designer from Detroit with nearly 40 years of experience, Malone is known for his innovative denim designs and influence on hip-hop fashion. He started his first company in 1984 at 19, selling clothes from his mom’s basement to local boutiques. In the late ’80s, he opened The U.N., a nightclub and studio, and became a key figure in Detroit’s hip-hop scene, organizing open-mic parties that inspired scenes in 8 Mile.
During the 1990s, Malone became a pioneer of hip-hop streetwear and relocated to New York, gaining acclaim in high fashion, including a CFDA nomination in 1997. He transitioned from streetwear to high-end design but struggled after the 9/11 attacks. In 2002, he revived his streetwear brand, Mojeans, and developed a widely used denim aging process.
In 2011, Malone founded the Williamsburg Garment Company (WGC) with just $2,000, quickly growing it into a successful international denim brand. By 2014, WGC transitioned to U.S.-based manufacturing and became a direct-to-consumer company. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Malone shifted WGC to focus on custom-made jeans and denim alterations, solidifying its reputation as a top denim service provider in the U.S.
