The appearance of progress in America conjures up the feel and look of a Lewis Hine photograph, and part of that comes from the legendary Carhartt brand.
Established in 1889, Carhartt is one of longest standing American brands. It was originally a supplier of overalls, jeans and shirts for railway workers as the train industry made its way across the continent. Over a century later in 1994 the brand travelled across the pond to Europe under the appropriate name ‘Work In Progress’, instantly cultivating a European fan base and reconfiguring its original design to suit its consumers’ dynamic, metropolitan lifestyles. Now paying homage to its heritage, Carhartt opens the first stateside Work in Progress store on Crosby Street in SoHo, New York, joining 40 more worldwide. Refining their form and function style, the Work in Progress line is slimmer, sleeker and a little bit more elite than what has gone before. With previous high end collaborations with Adam Kimmel, Work in Progress has future plans to collaborate with APC and Vans and looks set to be yet another notch on the Carhartt utility belt!
Text: Lily Avnet
