NY State of Mind started in 2008 with a folding table in Soho and hand-screened tees.

It came out of a real connection to New York — the hip-hop, the skate scene, the street art, the chaos, the hustle, and the creativity that gives the city its character. From the beginning, the idea was simple: make clothes that actually feel like New York.

This was never about making tourist merch. It was about building something honest: pieces with weight to them, graphics with a point of view, and clothes shaped by the culture that raised the brand.

Built in New York since 2008

  • 2008: Started in Soho with hand-screened tees sold from a folding table.
  • New York roots: Built around the city’s hip-hop, skate, and street-art communities.
  • Brooklyn today: Still independently run in New York, making graphic tees, hats, hoodies, and accessories.

NY State of Mind is the unshakable belief that you’re meant for something greater — and the discipline to work, sacrifice, and suffer for it.

Brett Stein speaks at TEDxBrooklyn on the story, mindset, and street-level hustle behind NY State of Mind.

SHOP THE BRAND

Artists and community

NY State of Mind has featured and worked alongside artists and New York cultural figures including Al Díaz, Danny Cortes, Sket-One, Alex Corporan, and Ben Angotti. Those relationships are part of the same idea the brand started with: make work with a real point of view and stay connected to the people shaping the city.

Over the years, the brand has been worn by artists, skaters, musicians, and people who recognized it for what it was — a real reflection of New York.

Make it real. Make it well. Keep it true to New York.