Established in 1994 by Edwin Faeh, Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP) develops its own collections based on original Carhartt workwear. The brand combines authentic adaptations of these robust American archetypes, while engaging with the subcultures that have embraced it. This, in turn, has seen Carhartt WIP place itself in a new context and bring forth its own classics.
Carhartt WIP opened its first store in London in 1997 and today operates over 80 brick and mortar locations worldwide. It also has its own skate team and music department, while supporting an array of artists and releasing various publications. Since 2010, Carhartt WIP has worked with a number of like-minded collaborators, including A.P.C., Converse, Fragment Design, Junya Watanabe, Nike, Underground Resistance, and Motown.
1855
Hamilton Carhartt is born in Macedon Locks, New York.
1889
With only four sewing machines and five employees, Hamilton Carhartt begins to manufacture overalls in duck and denim, under trade union conditions.
1910
The Carhartt Company expands to include two cotton mills in Georgia and South Carolina as well as factories in Detroit, Dallas and San Francisco.
1911
The Carhartt Automobile Corporation produces around 300 “Pleasure Cars” a year under the motto “The last word in motor construction”.
1914
During WWI, Carhartt produces workman uniforms for the military. With a reported total of 17 factories, the Carhartt clothing company reaches the height of its economic success in the first two decades of the 20th century.
1923
The iconic Carhartt CO1 Chore Coat is advertised for the first time and becomes a key part of the Carhartt collection.
1932
Carhartt opens a new factory in Irvine, Kentucky and launch the “Back to the Land” campaign to offer workers better conditions away from the slums, sweat shops and the general distress of large industrial towns, now filled with thousands of unemployed due to the Great Depression.
1937
Hamilton Carhartt dies in a car crash in Grosse Pointe, Michigan at age 82, leaving the company to his sons Hamilton Jr, and Wylie.
1941
As the USA enters WWII, the entire US economy experiences a boost as factories back the war effort. Soldiers both home and abroad need sturdy, durable apparel.
1966
The spring collection includes a line of classic sports apparel, casual jackets, jeans and shirts, all made of canvas, with product names such as “Huggers pants” and “Surfers”.
1989
Carhartt celebrates its centennial anniversary.
1989
Under the title "All American Concept", Edwin Faeh starts to introduce distinctly American products, such as Carhartt, to the European market.
1992
The rise of Carhartt’s street credibility happens when it is adopted by rappers, graffiti writers and corner boys, for its robust qualities and utilitarian aesthetic.
1994
Work in Progress (WIP) is established by Edwin Faeh to become the exclusive distributor of Carhartt in Europe.
1995
Mathieu Kassovitz’s “La Haine” becomes one of the first movies to feature Carhartt, coinciding with its rising popularity in underground music and cultural scenes throughout Europe.
1996
Work In Progress acquires the license to manufacture Carhartt products outside of the USA, and releases its first collection the following year.
1997
The first Carhartt WIP store opens on Neal Street in London.
1997
Carhartt WIP launches its own skate and BMX teams.
1999
Evan Hecox creates a series of illustrated ad campaigns for the brand, with this style becoming synonymous with Carhartt WIP campaigns of that era.
2000
Carhartt WIP presents its first women’s collection.
2000
Combination Records is established by Edwin Faeh, Oliver Drewes, and Philipp Maiburg for Carhartt WIP as an open platform for new electronic music.
2003
The first issue of Rugged Magazine, a publication by Carhartt WIP, is launched. It would continue for a further 19 issues.
2007
"Dirt Ollies: A Skateboard Trip to Mongolia" by Alexander Basile, Pontus Alv and Bertrand Trichet is released. (Published by Bildschöne Bücher & Carhartt WIP).
2008
Carhartt WIP Radio is launched, providing a new platform to showcase record labels and artists.
2010
Carhartt WIP first begins to work on capsule collections and special projects with other like-minded brands. Over the years, the brand would go on to collaborate with the likes of A.P.C., Converse, Fragment Design, Junya Watanabe, Nike, Patta, Vans, Vestax, and Vetements.
2011
Carhartt WIP opens a store in New York City, coming full circle with its American origins.
2013
Carhartt WIP collaborates with Antiz Skateboards.
2014
Carhartt WIP celebrates its 25th anniversary.
2015
The book “From Dirt to Dust” is released, which revisits Mongolia a decade on from “Dirt Ollies.”
2016
“The Carhartt WIP Archives” book is released. Published by Rizzoli, it is the first extensive look inside the world of Carhartt WIP. The brand’s skate team, meanwhile, welcomes its first skaters from the US and Australia.
2017
Carhartt WIP works with Isle Skateboards on an exclusive capsule collection and “Paving Space” – a skateable art installation by Raphaël Zarka. The brand also becomes a member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and commits to source more sustainable cotton year on year. Additionally, Carhartt WIP collaborates with Detroit techno icons Underground Resistance, and launches WIP magazine, a new biannual publication.
2018
Carhartt WIP collaborates with Russian skate brand PACCBET and pays tribute to UK reggae and dub label Trojan with a special capsule collection. The brand also presents Soul Skate – a documentary filmed at Moodymann’s Detroit festival. Carhartt WIP Radio, meanwhile, celebrates its 10th anniversary.
2019
Carhartt WIP opens its second store in the USA, located in Los Angeles. The brand also introduces organic cotton to its collections and collaborates with Australian label PASS-PORT Skateboards. Additionally, Carhartt WIP creates two collaborative capsule collections that pay tribute to the legacies of Motown and Fela Kuti.
2020
Carhartt WIP continues to expand its product range, through ongoing partnerships with GORE-TEX INFINIUM and Converse. The brand also collaborates with Awake NYC, as well as Galleria Continua, releasing a range of products, skate film, and publication to mark the opening of the gallery’s new concrete skate run at its location in Boissy-le-Châtel near Paris.
2021
Carhartt WIP opens its latest Paris store located in St-Germain-Des-Prés. The second volume of the brand’s Relevant Parties podcast series is launched. The brand also collaborates with artist Lucas Price on a series of oil paintings for its Fall campaign, Berlin skate imprint Civilist, and L’Art de l’Automobile.
2022
Carhartt WIP collaborates with vaunted London design studio and brand Toogood, presenting the collection at Salone del Mobile, while also working with New Balance and Liberty Fabrics later in the year. Additionally, a capsule collection is released with skate imprint Quartersnacks. The brand rounds out the year with new flagship stores in Hamburg and Barcelona.
2023
A collaboration with sacai sees the Japanese brand rework archetypal Carhartt WIP silhouettes and fabrics. The brand also releases Many Hands, One Double Knee Pant, a video documenting the iconic pant’s manufacturing process at one of three Carhartt WIP-owned production facilities in Tunisia.
