A Conversation with Marcus Troy

April 28, 2011Editorialby L. Ruano487 Views

Marcus Troy is a multi-faceted creative hailing from Montreal, QC Canada. He creates digital brand experiences through his blog Marcustroy.com, originally founded in 2008. Marcus has worked with an esteemed roster of clients on multiple creative projects, including The Project Show, Converse, Nike, Sebago, Levi’s and Nylon Magazine, just to name a few.

Canada offers a blogger… a lot of opportunity to grow for a number of reasons. For one I don’t think that Canadians have fully embraced the blogging community like other parts of the world, so it’s the right opportunity to come in and make a name as a blogger. Secondly I think it’s taking awhile for Canadian brands, companies and people to appreciate homegrown bloggers so maybe that’s another opportunity to create a new perception. I am very happy being a Canadian blogger.

Formulating marketing strategies… has to be the most rewarding part of this game. Being able to create brand experiences with brands that I love and appreciate has to be one of my favorite things to do. I like pushing the limits of creativity, I also want to experiment a bit and see what works and what doesn’t. It is a pretty stressful part of my life, but I love the challenge and seeing the results.

Social media has produced… a great platform for young creatives to explore, share ideas and thoughts without breaking the bank. Social media has also produced a lot of egos, storytellers and liars. I guess it is a double-edge sword. I’ve learned through social media that people believe what you tell them. I like to look at the positive side of social media, I’ve been able to connect with strangers who have now become really good friends and we continue to create and produce great things together.

Working with a corporate company… teaches you a few things. 1. You get to learn the game on someone else’s dime. 2. Allows you the budget and the resources to make extraordinary things happen. 3. Teaches you what not to do when you decide to be your own boss. 4. Teaches you essential components of the business world and gives you valuable lessons to put into practice. 5. Teaches you the basic disciplines of work life. Some of the most successful people that I know have worked with corporate companies first before they became great on their own. I would also add that working with a corporate company in your own capacity also has its rewards. I enjoy collaborating with corporate companies and giving them a taste of my world!

Streetwear has evolved… for all the wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong I am all for evolution and progression, I just believe that streetwear has evolved prematurely. I think the growth of the blogs and the access to information can be attributed to that premature growth. It has forced some of these streetwear companies to grown up too fast and alienate their core consumers. Everyday there is a new kid who turns 15 and he can’t relate Yves Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Damir Doma and brands of that nature. He just wants to wear crazy logo T-shirts, kicks and his baseball cap.

Distinguishing confidence and arrogance… is probably the hardest thing to do. A thing like Twitter has made it really easy for people to reveal an exaggerated sense of their own importance. A confident person doesn’t have to retweet every single compliment they receive or brag about every important meeting they just left or how exciting the future is going to be for them. I think it is really about what people choose to do with that voice. “Bad boys move in silence” always remains true.

Web publications… are now the new standard and everyone seems to have one. The game is getting very saturated, so only a few will be able to separate themselves from the rest. I am very interested in seeing where it will go. I love the creativity of the new set of web publications that have been hitting the web in the past years; they are creating new ways for us to digest information.

The importance of collaborations… is to showcase the creativity of two or more parties. It really gives you an idea of the power of two brands. When a collaboration is done properly you get the best of two worlds. Unfortunately some brands are giving the wonderful idea of collaborating a bad rap because they choose to collaborate with everyone. As a brand you want to be very careful with who you collaborate with, you want to keep it special.

Progression on any front… is the key to life. Never be afraid to progress, a lot of people are afraid to progress from fear of what their peers may think. I think progression is the only way we get to experience new opportunities and a better life.

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  • http://twitter.com/gauthamsastri gautham

    some shoul dhave asked him if he still lives at home, would have put some perspective on the whole interview.

  • http://twitter.com/gauthamsastri gautham

    Markus has been in the fashion and blogging game for more than a minute.

    He definitely deserves the respect in his particular “game”.

    That being said … what he says, on the importance scale of 1 to 100, is like a 4.

    He is a human infomercial … and represents a new form of advertising billboard, a human billboard.

    A billboard may be seen from the highway by a zillion people, but it’s still just a giant piece of junk trying to sell you useless crap. Kinda like “(lower) middle class fashion” blogs.

    Markus is a dope guy though.

    To me he’s like a pro rollerblader. Much respect for the dedication and accomplishment, not so much respect or interest in his choice of hobby.

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7AMLYIK3AN3QN765TWESBLQ3F4 Jay s

    “Do you think brands are foolish enough to work with someone because they have a few thousand followers on twitter and facebook?”

    Doing that is not foolish at all, they are doing it for publicity and it works, it generates publicity and hype for the product which generates revenue. Lets be honest if within the next few years people got sick of blogs and their creators then bloggers would not be working on any collaborative projects because it would not generate any publicity/revenue. I think the problem some people may have is that you are letting people with no education/experience in design, design a product where maybe the job should have gone to someone with more education and experience. Note: I really wish I had the interview that talked about this very thing, it was about a number of young female fashion bloggers being recruited by fashion house the likes of gucci to help design entire lines and how this was more for marketing then it was for design.

    Blogging as a profession is another issue because a good number of bloggers out there dont create their own content but rather the blog just reposts what has been said, or even worse the blog is self serving publicity.

    I think the real question here is not the legitimacy or impact of a blog but rather this

    “What makes one blog better then the other ?”

    I know of some blogs that have great content but not many followers and then there are other blogs with thousands of followers and the content is complete shite. The real truth of the matter is what seems to elevate a blog is not the content but rather how many followers said blog has and how well its creator can advertise the blog and who they know in the industry to help them elevate the blog to become one that is “anointed” by the brands those blogs cover.

    Oh and one last thing I too am getting sick and tired of the whole “if you show any form of criticism you are a hater”, seriously it is getting sickening, not everyone is going to LIKE EVERYTHING, there is a real difference between criticism and hate, hell people have made a profession out of criticism they are called critics. And for those of you who forgot or never heard of a newspaper critic=blogging before blogs were invented.

    Thank you and goodnight

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  • Anonymous

    @NificentS

    You make a great point BUT I feel that your comments are extremely ignorant. Do you think brands are foolish enough to work with someone because they have a few thousand followers on twitter and facebook? Do you think brands are that ignorant just to partner up with an “influencer” just based on them having a blog.

    Unless you know Marcus personally I don’t think you can judge what he has done to achieve these accolades and collaborations. If you do know him personally and know if life that I retract this comment.

    I don’t think anyone was born a blogger, they must of had a past life before blogging. What did Marcus DO? Where did he go to school? How influential is he really outside of blogging? These are all questions that don’t seem to be raised.

    If the likes of Nike, Converse and whoever else just team up with popular bloggers, you might have much to learn about the game. That is extremely ignorant.

    Criticism should come from a place of knowledge not just a random opinion with no facts.

    I don’t think that he is too self aware of his influence I think the brands deem him one based on his influence and work. Why would they keep on working with him if there was no results?

    If you think he is a corny dude, that is a personal opinion that can be respected because it is based on your observation but I don’t think you can speak on why he is able to do what he does unless you know his history. I don’t think he came out of the womb as a blogger.

    I would not go as far as calling you a hater as you say but you seem to be content being on your computer and throwing darts. It seems like you are bothered that these people are getting shine on websites that you visit daily. Do you think Hypebeast is that ignorant to give shine to someone who has not work hard in this game.

    Blogging happens to be a new profession, the landscape of work and creativity has evolved and there are new opportunities for guys like street etiquette,marcus troy and everyone else who is doing things in this new medium. Who are you to decided who should get love or not.

    If working has evolved and there is a new industry and these are the heroes or elites or rookies or potentials of this new wave of this industry why are you bothered by this.

    I don’t think anyone said, hey look at Marcus he is a blogger and now he is going to run for president and control the world. In that case I might be upset as well.

    This is just highlighting what he has done in this industry and just like you he has an opinion on streetwear like you have one on blogging and influence.

    If your opinion was correct then hypebeast should not have the right to do what they do either.Do you think HB has a degree in influence? do you think they went to school in BLogging? What gives them the right to give us their opinion on streetwear, fashion as an authority? Yet we read it everyday to see what they have to say. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion on the industry they work in.

    Taking shots at maestro was definitely hating. You come off as angry at people who are making a living off of what they love and are passionate about. Maestro never said he was the best skater in the world? do you skate? People love MK because he seems humble and he show humility laughing at himself. He is just a guy who like to skate and hang out with his friends and peers.

    These guys seem to have made a name for themselves and it seems to bother you.

    You should study these people you have disdain for before you comment.

    It was written that some Neo Nazi actually studied the Coran and the Torah before they started their racist campaign. They understood what it was about first So they can be informed when fighting against its teachings. I am not saying that they were right but they actually studied it first. I don’t think you did your homework on MK and MT.

    Hate is out of ignorance and criticism should be based on knowledge.

  • Anonymous

    I agree some comments on here are just shots at him, but what I said was aimed at how just about anyone it seems, who has a few thousand followers or fans, regardless of merit or talent, is considered an influencer. (think Snookie)

    Being too self aware of your influencer status is a bit silly since what exactly do you have to back it up besides followers and collaborations because of your followers, not because you’ve created anything else besides a blog that talks about other people’s creations.

    Its sad really when actual criticism, in today’s sensitive social media age, is downplayed as hating. Hating is simply being angry at the success of someone else for no particular reason. Criticism it seems has become taboo in this generation.

    His comments on the how streetwear has evolved too prematurely is a bit on the ignorant side because streetwear will always be streetwear. Incorporating high fashion brands into an urban setting is only an evolution of individual style.

    Yes some people only hate, but there are a few of us who look at the landscape, stay silent because of the over sensitivity most have for criticism, and shake our heads at how just anyone it seems, somehow becomes an expert based on how many followers on twitter they have

  • http://www.facebook.com/erikmichaelg Erik Michael G.

    Great interview MT.

  • http://robbywells.wordpress.com/ RW

    Influence is fleeting. Unless you want to someday be irrelevant, you should spend time trying to tap influencers, not trying to be one. They always go away.

  • http://twitter.com/JoelReilly Joel Reilly

    I didn’t even read any of the comments… cause well…

    People just gonna hate anyway no matter how many accomplishments you achieve.
    Keep doing you MT.

    On to the next one

  • Anonymous

    JohnGotty said it right…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AQGNCG4OMG22CH6FFGXI3YAJSA sopearb

    i thought that was ma$e

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • http://twitter.com/ShineCreativeTv ShineCreativeTv

    Nice photo.

  • Anonymous

    “assassinate his character”? Come on. We are argu-posting about shoes and watches. Let’s not take this, or ourselves, too seriously.

    You, kid, are a moron.

  • Anonymous

    Could be an interesting dialogue here in the comments.
    =========================
    Unfortunately I think more people took this space as a chance to take shots at Marcus instead of actually reading the words he shared, which are very concise and accurate.

    Too many other silly comments to reply to but I’ll say that Marcus is a mentally sharp guy who doesn’t work his magic only via a keyboard. In fact, I’d dare say his successes and relationships are built from people who’ve met and worked with him in person instead of online b/c he’s one of the friendliest, most engaging people around.

    Good read.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506031076 Tim Limsana

    marcus troy, one of the first

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506031076 Tim Limsana

    marcus troy, one of the first

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PGWRRKJF4Q3QC4V4MXT27VQSSE I slap Hipsters

    lol@determined look – face

    fuckouttahere..

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PGWRRKJF4Q3QC4V4MXT27VQSSE I slap Hipsters

    lol@determined look – face

    fuckouttahere..

  • Anonymous

    his thoughts on social media and streetwear collaboration are totally true. and the concept of an influencer is not a new idea. anyone you’ve ever looked up to in life or thought was cool to the point that you emulated them is an influencer. some people are just able to turn that into a job, kind of like how the heads of these streetwear companies tried to turn their lifestyle into something they could sell to you.

  • Anonymous

    his thoughts on social media and streetwear collaboration are totally true. and the concept of an influencer is not a new idea. anyone you’ve ever looked up to in life or thought was cool to the point that you emulated them is an influencer. some people are just able to turn that into a job, kind of like how the heads of these streetwear companies tried to turn their lifestyle into something they could sell to you.

  • Anonymous

    his thoughts on social media and streetwear collaboration are totally true. and the concept of an influencer is not a new idea. anyone you’ve ever looked up to in life or thought was cool to the point that you emulated them is an influencer. some people are just able to turn that into a job, kind of like how the heads of these streetwear companies tried to turn their lifestyle into something they could sell to you.

  • Anonymous

    his thoughts on social media and streetwear collaboration are totally true. and the concept of an influencer is not a new idea. anyone you’ve ever looked up to in life or thought was cool to the point that you emulated them is an influencer. some people are just able to turn that into a job, kind of like how the heads of these streetwear companies tried to turn their lifestyle into something they could sell to you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ianpaulford Ian Ford

    I was never super impressed by his blog… but he’s somehow created a lot of dope opportunities for himself… so I respect the HUSTLE.

    Otherwise, his comments are dead on and very insightful… it’s very COOL to hear such righteousness from a young gunner!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQI2GK6UYIELNZQAV6U5KLTUHA Nj Sxh

    how do you figure he is not an expert. what exactly constitutes and expert in streetwear? is there some degree one can obtain from college courses? is there formal testing one must get through in order to be dubbed an expert? does the queen of street wear need to knight someone into this? you, kid, are a moron. MT is surrounded by this stuff. he has a voice in the blog world, which is great considering that many blogs tend to report things in an objective manner, where MT is giving his opinions and providing insight into certain product. i would say he is more than qualified to give his opinions and to have them be respected amongst street wear insiders/industry personnel. all you kids hating on his blog and questioning his qualifications in a pathetic attempt to assassinate his character need to look in the mirror and question what exactly are you doing hating on someone who is making the most of unique opportunities granted to him.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CQI2GK6UYIELNZQAV6U5KLTUHA Nj Sxh

    how do you figure he is not an expert. what exactly constitutes and expert in streetwear? is there some degree one can obtain from college courses? is there formal testing one must get through in order to be dubbed an expert? does the queen of street wear need to knight someone into this? you, kid, are a moron. MT is surrounded by this stuff. he has a voice in the blog world, which is great considering that many blogs tend to report things in an objective manner, where MT is giving his opinions and providing insight into certain product. i would say he is more than qualified to give his opinions and to have them be respected amongst street wear insiders/industry personnel. all you kids hating on his blog and questioning his qualifications in a pathetic attempt to assassinate his character need to look in the mirror and question what exactly are you doing hating on someone who is making the most of unique opportunities granted to him.

  • http://twitter.com/NOFVCE NØFACE

    I kinda agreed with his comments on streetwear. A lot of brands are forgetting who their core customers are and the kids who wore their stuff before it was hyped up.

  • http://twitter.com/NOFVCE NØFACE

    I kinda agreed with his comments on streetwear. A lot of brands are forgetting who their core customers are and the kids who wore their stuff before it was hyped up.

  • Anonymous

    corny dude. since when is influencer a job description, please he whores himself out for product and big brands exploit this. They know streetwear kids are fickle and eat up anything, so they get these e-famous dudes who have a couple thousand followers on twitter or blog and use them to create something “authentic”. These dudes are not that creative or innovative.

    Maestro wannabe, and dont get me started on Maestro’s corny ass and his glorified skate videos

    Call it hating, but come on this is like high school. The least talented kid becomes most popular or e-famous. This is coming from someone who’s seen this streetwear thing evolve over the years. Dudes who where wearing only t-shirts and baggy pants and now claiming to love button ups and skinny jeans, shut the fuck up.

    Not all the real experts with experience are on blogs and not all bloggers are experts. Same way that most bloggers aren’t actually journalists.

  • Anonymous

    corny dude. since when is influencer a job description, please he whores himself out for product and big brands exploit this. They know streetwear kids are fickle and eat up anything, so they get these e-famous dudes who have a couple thousand followers on twitter or blog and use them to create something “authentic”. These dudes are not that creative or innovative.

    Maestro wannabe, and dont get me started on Maestro’s corny ass and his glorified skate videos

    Call it hating, but come on this is like high school. The least talented kid becomes most popular or e-famous. This is coming from someone who’s seen this streetwear thing evolve over the years. Dudes who where wearing only t-shirts and baggy pants and now claiming to love button ups and skinny jeans, shut the fuck up.

    Not all the real experts with experience are on blogs and not all bloggers are experts. Same way that most bloggers aren’t actually journalists.

  • Steve Jobs

    I hate marcus troy him and his blog are mad corny.

  • Anonymous

    why so serious face?

  • http://twitter.com/FFFFANBOY Mudasser

    Great point about being a Canadian blogger, it feels lonely sometimes but there is less saturation so there’s certainly a feeling of quasi-monopoly. Interesting points about corporate company collabo and your whole view on collaboration. it seems to me that you’re the sort of brand ambassador who will discuss these things more openly with others whereas others with certain associations/teams/brands are not so open about their opinion (i would put myself in this category). i think that’s a function of your personal brand though!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515738668 Daniel Tesfai

    W/e i’m a young adult and I still rock my sneakers/plan to rock my sneakers(sneaker head here). It’s really all up to the individual, but i’m going to wear what I like regardless of what others may think or say. I kinda agree with the whole street wear scene maturing very quickly but in the end weather you rock sneakers and graphic tees or skinny jeans and fitted shirts its the individual who makes the look work or not.

  • http://twitter.com/RoShine Ro’Shine♛

    How does one ever know if the person in a certain position is ever qualified? In my field there are many people in higher positions of power that I KNOW that I am more competent than. Marcus Troy is brilliant with taking his relationships with brands and doing something that has never been done before. You can not argue with the results. I think there has been a more than satisfactory degree of success with all the projects MT has worked on, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

  • http://twitter.com/RoShine Ro’Shine♛

    How does one ever know if the person in a certain position is ever qualified? In my field there are many people in higher positions of power that I KNOW that I am more competent than. Marcus Troy is brilliant with taking his relationships with brands and doing something that has never been done before. You can not argue with the results. I think there has been a more than satisfactory degree of success with all the projects MT has worked on, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7AMLYIK3AN3QN765TWESBLQ3F4 Jay s

    Speaking of bloggers not being experts I have to ask what makes one person’s blog have more authority then the next person? This is in no way trying to disrespect Marcus Troy or any other blogger out there its just a legitimate question. I understand now with his reputation why Marcus Troy and his blog work with corporate brands but I mean it obviously did not begin that way did it? What makes Marcus Troy or lets say Street Etiquette’s blog more valid then other blogs out there? Is it visual style/presentation? Is it content? Is it better promotion so one has more readers then the other? Or are there things going on behind the scenes that we just don’t know about?

    Disclaimer: These are just questions so before all the hate speech I actually enjoy reading the aforementioned sites.

    Thank You and Goodnight

  • http://robbywells.wordpress.com/ RW

    First of all… I don’t wear any clothes that would be considered streetwear (I am too fat, shop at Target), but I agree that many iconic brands and certainly the streetwear conversation has matured at an incredibly fast rate. For many, Nike is a near irrelevant part of a wardrobe, where I am sure it was staple 5 years ago. I’ve said it before… Hypebeast looks more like a J Crew catalog these days, and whoa… J Crew is even literally popping up on HB from time to time. YSL, Damir Doma and Rick Owens have all been around for years, but have only recently become part of the streetwear conversation. So how could it not be maturing?

    None of these brands are relevant to a 17 year old kid. Streetwear was a homogenous playground of t-shirts and sneakers just a few short years ago. Now only a fraction (still a decent portion) is relevant to young kids.

  • http://robbywells.wordpress.com/ RW

    First of all… I don’t wear any clothes that would be considered streetwear (I am too fat, shop at Target), but I agree that many iconic brands and certainly the streetwear conversation has matured at an incredibly fast rate. For many, Nike is a near irrelevant part of a wardrobe, where I am sure it was staple 5 years ago. I’ve said it before… Hypebeast looks more like a J Crew catalog these days, and whoa… J Crew is even literally popping up on HB from time to time. YSL, Damir Doma and Rick Owens have all been around for years, but have only recently become part of the streetwear conversation. So how could it not be maturing?

    None of these brands are relevant to a 17 year old kid. Streetwear was a homogenous playground of t-shirts and sneakers just a few short years ago. Now only a fraction (still a decent portion) is relevant to young kids.

  • http://robbywells.wordpress.com/ RW

    First of all… I don’t wear any clothes that would be considered streetwear (I am too fat, shop at Target), but I agree that many iconic brands and certainly the streetwear conversation has matured at an incredibly fast rate. For many, Nike is a near irrelevant part of a wardrobe, where I am sure it was staple 5 years ago. I’ve said it before… Hypebeast looks more like a J Crew catalog these days, and whoa… J Crew is even literally popping up on HB from time to time. YSL, Damir Doma and Rick Owens have all been around for years, but have only recently become part of the streetwear conversation. So how could it not be maturing?

    None of these brands are relevant to a 17 year old kid. Streetwear was a homogenous playground of t-shirts and sneakers just a few short years ago. Now only a fraction (still a decent portion) is relevant to young kids.

  • http://robbywells.wordpress.com/ RW

    I totally agree with the streetwear has evolved comment. Could be an interesting dialogue here in the comments. What part do you disagree with? Just curious for a different perspective.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    & the funny thing is I came on here thinking this was MA$E LOL!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    & the funny thing is I came on here thinking this was MA$E LOL!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    & the funny thing is I came on here thinking this was MA$E LOL!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    & the funny thing is I came on here thinking this was MA$E LOL!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    & the funny thing is I came on here thinking this was MA$E LOL!

  • Anonymous

    Agree with fmh244 “Good read, minus the “Streetwear has evolved…” segment.” Please try in the future to watch your comments, remember your are just a blogger not an expert.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-McGhee/799045382 Jared McGhee

    Love to see Black Males out there doing things like this; I get tired of seeing us become great from Rapping & Sports!

  • Anonymous

    Hey Marcus I checked the blog not impressed.

  • Anonymous

    Good read, minus the “Streetwear has evolved…” segment.

  • Anonymous

    Good read, minus the “Streetwear has evolved…” segment.