To celebrate Carhartt WIP's forthcoming collection with AwakeNY, we look back at the heritage brand's best collaborations.

A legacy built on hard work and innovation, Carhartt’s commitment to authenticity has made them the ‘it’ workwear brand for generations. Synonymous with hustlers in their respective fields, from mechanics to painters and rappers to skaters, the Michigan-born label was founded in 1889 to support the city’s steel, steam and locomotives industries, providing hamilton brown overalls from a small loft in Detroit.

 

Since, Carhartt has organically supported some of the world’s seminal subcultures through its W.I.P (Work In Progress) line. Inspiring the style of NYC’s hip-hop elite, Detroit’s techno contingency and many others, the brand has stayed relevant through countless cross-field collaborations. Patta, Neighbourhood and Vans are a few streetwear namesakes that spring to mind. However, Carhartt has also forayed into high fashion, finding itself on the runways of Junya Watanabe and more recently Sacai.

 

Available from April 6, Carhartt W.I.P’s latest collection teams up once again with Angelo Baque’s AwakeNY. To celebrate the brand’s collaborative heritage, we run down five collections that epitomise their commitment to championing subculture and luxury street-style.

Carhartt WIP And Awake NY SS23 Capsule

Reuniting after their three-way collaboration with Patta, Carhartt and AwakeNY’s SS23 capsule is much to be admired. The collection champions the inextricable ties between WIP’s workwear and NYC’s rich hip-hop history. Eight pieces in forest green, sky blue and hamilton brown colourways feature across the drop.

MARNI X Carhartt WIP

Striking up a partnership in January 2023, Italian fashion house MARNI and Carhartt came together for a utilitarian ready-to-wear collection. The colour-savvy range exhibits patchworked sherling and leather jackets, as well as two-piece floral bits.

Carhartt WIP x Dr. Romanelli x Danny Brown 2014 European Tour Range

Dr Romanelli added his customised flair to this exclusive Carhartt WIP and Danny Brown collaboration. A bonafide Detroit linkup, outfitting the Michigan rapper for his 2014 tour, the collection taps many of the brand’s classic workwear motifs. Featuring a coordinated patchwork look, with camo and Native American detailing, Danny donned the range religiously throughout the year.

Carhartt WIP x Junya Watanabe SS18

Exploring workwear for his SS18 show, Junya Watanabe released a range of tailored and ready-to-wear interpretations of Carhartt’s most coveted pieces. Giving dadcore, the collection spans splattered paint shirts to hamilton brown duffle coats and everything in between.

L’art de l’Automobile X Carhartt WIP

For SS21, Carhartt tapped Paris-based lifestyle brand L’art de l’Automobile, helmed by French car dealer Arthur Kar. Created as an ode to Carhartt’s heritage, which saw the brand releasing motor vehicles in 1911, the collection combined Arthur’s automobile know-how with classic WIP features. Graphic tees, mechanic workwear and caps all feature in a plant-ish green colour way.