Even before its newfound buzz 12 months ago, Carhartt had managed to stay relevant for over a century. Like many brands, Levi’s and Dickies included, it was founded as a staple for manual labourers and has ever since been central to America’s blue-collar workforce. Then, in the nineties, Carhartt WIP - the brand’s more fashion forward line we’re more familiar with in the UK – was founded, catering for a growing cult-following beyond tradesmen.
But how did they bridge the fashion gap? The hip hop scene was first to put Carhartt on the map when record label Tommy Boy Records bought 800 jackets and dished them out to their artists. “New York hip-hoppers prefer their Carhartts mustard brown and hunter green with baggy corduroy pants stuffed into Timberland boots,” noted a 1992 New York Times article, quoting Albee Ragusa, then director of Rap Marketing for Tommy Boy Records.
The golden C suddenly experienced stratospheric success. There it was in House of Pain’s music video for ‘Jump Around,’ while also being worn regularly by the likes of Tupac and Eazy-E. It even turned up in cinema, with an iconic beanie worn throughout French cult-classic La Haine by the film’s central character, Hubert. And that’s before being adopted by skate culture, too.
More recently, though, its success lies in menswear’s ongoing love of workwear – a 2021 report by Grand View Research actually found that the market is growing at a rate of 5.3 per cent every year until 2030. Carhartt seems to be the figurehead of the trend, with countless memes on social media mocking the blue-collar cosplay.
While celebrity fans is one thing, Carhartt is finding new ways to capitalise on its fashion status. The brand has worked with a wide range of collaborators, covering everyone from Marni and Sacai to A.P.C. and design-led label TooGood. There have even been special releases with BAPE and home-of-the-grail Palace along the way. All of these hyped drops are more than enough to keep the internet – and the GQ office – talking. And they never miss. Each collab stays true to the brand’s DNA whilst reaching a new audience – whether it’s through Marni’s statement prints or the art of deconstruction with Sacai.
All in all, then, you can consider this our blessing for you to go forth and become a Carhartt bro yourself – you’ll be set for at least another six years. You can thank us later.
