Bernstein established the Lip Service clothing company in 1985 when at the age of 21 he was influenced by fashion designers of glam and death rock. Instead of continuing in their footsteps he saw a viable outlet for branding to goths and punks. In the company's beginning he relates he had a lot of wild ideas including his first success with selling leggings with prints of skulls and daggers. The brand was picked up by musicians and their fans who could access the clothes through specialty boutiques such as Retail Slut and NaNa. With growth, new accounts were added including California retail chain Hot Topic. Close friend Izzy Stradlin, guitarist of Guns N’ Roses, took one of Bernstein’s Lip Service jackets and gave it to his singer Axl Rose to wear. The result was a major boost in sales.
