Shop Strong

COVER STORY BY: MELISSA MALOON PHOTOS BY LACQUAN SCOTT

The freedom to be a Creative in its full capacity is a luxury many chase and few taste, for Stronghold they bask in the joyful taste. The visionaries behind Stronghold, Packman Dupe and Mikey Strong, and creative director, Notez, have fought and earned their freedom to design and bring to us all unique styles in streetwear. Whether it is curating, buying or designing, Stronghold is the one stop shop for putting forth some of the best clothing designs New Jersey has to offer.

Stronghold, the name coming from partner Mikey Strong who was trying to bridge a gap between MMA and streetwear, it means to have a strong hold on life. In the time passed the “hold” was dropped to establish a brand apart from the MMA. Since its beginning it has grown to become a destination place for people all over the state looking for unique pieces that just can’t be found elsewhere. With now three locations, the most recent being at Menlo Park Mall, Stronghold has been a testament of resilience, perseverance and dedication; true examples of “Never not working.”

Serving the community for over 10 years, Stronghold is a customerbased company where they make a conscious effort of establishing relationships with customers all over. They pay special attention to customer service and prioritize the customer feedback. It is the bread and butter of their business because

it allows them to gauge their performance and enhance it to be able to touch people inside as well as outside of New Jersey.

Stronghold is more than excellent customer service though; it is a lifestyle. For the owners and creative director, it is a passion. Owner Dupe always knew fashion was going to be his passion, he went from getting two pairs of Jordans a year to now having an extensive collection. A firm believer of “Whatever you do, give it your 100%,” Dupe’s aspirations lie farther than dressing New Jersey, he wants to dress the world. For creative director, Notez, he also always knew he

wanted to be in fashion and seek to make people smile one garment at a time.

For Dupe, it is also about coming up with the right people with you. It is best to just start any project you desire but it also helps to do so with a partner who matches your passion and drive. It is also smart to find a mentor in whatever field of interest, advises Dupe. The most important key factor in everything is consistency. Consistency is the biggest focus over at Stronghold, because fortunately they have achieved their goals. They are blessed to say they have worked with people they have always wanted to dress, which allows them to focus on consistency to multiply their blessings!

Now in 2021, we can celebrate the opening of a new location at Menlo Park Mall and also their involvement with the City of Bloomfield in New Jersey, where they will be designing recycling trash bins all throughout Bloomfield so as to encourage the youth to be more proactive when it comes to the environment.

Obsessed and addicted to growth, these are just some of the early things we can expect over at Stronghold. Aside from anticipating their designs all over Bloomfield, NJ, we will be expecting a lot more collaborations and especially pop up shops, as well as more releases and events. They had made it to 10 years, they are working to exceed expectations for the next 10 years as they all also venture into different business avenues. Always looking to be better than yesterday and elevate, they are adamant on growth, they are happy to be in a position where they can help others in their growth as well.

To stay in with the latest of everything Stronghold follow the journey via Instagram @Strongholdshop! Shop looks online visit www.2strongshop.com for fire gear!