Tre Mundy-Haute École est. 1996
Building a Fashion Empire is just one of the things on Tre Mundy's to-do list!
Tre Mundy has established his own fashion empire-from a clothing line to new and upcoming businesses. Having built it from the ground up, Tre is consistently growing and evolving, putting his name in all creative spaces.
Who exactly is Tre Mundy-entrepreneur, designer and creator?
Tre Mundy is a 26 year old “culture radical” from the north side of Pittsburgh, PA. I’m someone who does exactly what I want creatively. I have never placed limitations on myself. I will place bets on myself against anyone or anything. My self confidence is what makes me who I am, it makes a lot people uncomfortable but I know I wouldn’t of made it this far if I wasn’t confident in myself.
Fashion hasn't always been at the forefront of Trey's mind. It didn't start out as a "venture" as Mundy puts it, instead his fashion line Haute École est. 1996, blossomed from inspiration, friends, family members, and own sense of style being some of the factors that made Haute École est. 1996 what it is today.
How did you know fashion was the creative direction that you wanted to venture into?
I never really looked at fashion as a venture. As a kid, I would look through my older cousin's clothes and he always had the newest fashion and throwback jerseys. I used to always dig through his closet knowing I couldn’t fit any of his clothes. I’ve always been a sneakerhead. “I stayed with the heat.” I would look at all my shoes and imagine how I would design shoes if I had the opportunity.
What was it about sneakers that really progressed your desire to start a brand and expand on your creativity?
What really enhanced my sneaker collection was AAU basketball. There were never any uniform restrictions, so I would wear a different pair of Nikes every game. Growing up I never really had time to hone in on my creative abilities with sports and all. In high school, art class was the only time I had to be creative. A lot of the art projects that I did, my art teacher would buy from me. I started taking fashion seriously in college when I knew it could become a career. In college, I was the one who the basketball team would come to about getting shoes. I fell in love with fashion when I saw how I could boost people's confidence and image.
Inspiration can be found everywhere and in anything. For Tre, inspiration for Haute École est. 1996 blossomed out of the college experience. An experience where creativity has the chance to soar beyond textbooks.
You've established your fashion brand-Haute Ecole, what is the backstory and inspiration behind building this brand?
The inspiration for the name Haute École est. 1996 came from my college museum ethics class. It was a frequent word and stood out to me. I researched the word and found that it means "high class" in French. At that time I was looking for a therapeutic outlet. The summer after my sophomore year of college I did an internship for the Allegheny County Treasurer doing asset management, it was pretty cool.
When you want something done, do it yourself. This is a motto that Tre went by when he first launched his clothing line in 2019. Now, in 2022, his brand is here and thriving. He gives readers an insight into the process of his first launch and if he plans to collaborate with other fashion brands in the near future.
Content Creator and Innovator
When was the first launch of your collection?
My first launch for my brand was in 2019, it was very bitter-sweet. I think the actual launching of the brand and the products were scarier than the actual process. I enjoyed the process and took it one step at a time -from learning graphic design to actually coming up with the logo and designs, as well as getting everything manufactured. It was such a relief to see my dreams come to a reality.
Have you launched your fashion brand with other fashion platforms such as collaborations? If so, who were they? If not, what other fashion brands would you want to launch and collaborate with?
I did a quick strike limited release with my little brother Trez Jones' brand "The Native Moon". I also had a few interviews with blogs and podcast such as Hotxx Magazine and The Scumbags podcast. I haven’t really done too many collaborations because I have been trying to build a stronger brand identity, for when I do eventually collaborate with other brands.
Do you think collaborations take away the value of your initial voice of your brand or betters it in the long run?
I won’t have to compromise the value of my brand to work with another brand. But, I’m still open to collaborating with based brands from all over the world. Somewhere in the future, I’d like to do some projects with a major brand or cultural icon.
Expanding Into New Things!
With Haute École est. 1996 growing and evolving as an established fashion brand, the men have been kept stylish-decked out in the latest collections of Hate Ecole, but what about women? Tre gives an insight on whether he will expand into new territory.
I plan on expanding into women’s clothing in a year or two for sure. I’ll propose bringing in a woman designer to help with the womenswear. I even ask ladies their prospective on styles they would like to see men in.
Haute Ecole est. 1996 is guaranteed to reach new heights in the fashion and culture industry. With his connections and determination to expand in all aspects of his brand, readers, and supporters of Tre are sure to see new material in the coming months and years. Talent never sleeps and Tre is just getting started!
Do you plan on expanding your brand into other areas besides fashion given that you're a creator and perhaps an influencer for others' inspiration?
Yes, actually. I’m involved with a few projects outside of my clothing brand. I sell a lot of my art and graphic designs. That’s like my bread and butter outside of Haute Ecole est. 1996. I only started graphic designing so I could design my own clothes. My team and I have been putting together ideas for movies and skits. I really don’t see myself being another brand's influencer, but I’d do a collaboration or some type of partnership.
Self-establishing yourself in any kind of industry can be tough, draining, and even doubtful. But, with courage, motivation, and as Tre puts it-sacrifice, your dreams and goals can come full circle. Just keep pushing and never give up.
What does self-establishment mean to you? You're only growing and evolving as a creator and brand, how can you further establish yourself after all that you've built thus far?
I think self-establishment means building the lifestyle that you want your way without compromise or selling yourself short. I’m learning that it comes with a lot of sacrifice and discipline. I’ve also learned that even though you had a specific vision of how you’d like to build your life, I’m going to keep building off what I’ve already built by being a student of the game.
Is there a message you follow that keeps you in this mindset?
My father always said, “You’re not growing if you’re not learning”. Taking risks is also a key element because you’ll learn a lot about your strengths and weaknesses in those moments. I have a lot up my sleeves. I can’t really share because a lot of the upcoming stuff is very unpredictable and I don’t have any solid timeline on when these projects will be done. But I have a lot of epic ideas I’m working on. But just know they are going to be iconic.
Follow Tre Mundy via:
Haute Ecole est, 1996's website