Carhartt WIP - September Store Opening Programme

After the opening of the E1 store in Shoreditch, London, Carhartt Work In Progress have been steadily extending their tendrils throughout Europe. With five store openings over the last month in four countries its safe to say that Carhartt have come a long way from their beginnings updating US-workwear and re-appropriating classic pieces for a contemporary audience.

With each opening Carhartt have strengthened an already impressive brand identity and taken an aesthetic we are all familiar with, and delivered it to new markets. This phase of the brand's opening programme began in late August with the opening of their store in Lille, once again showcasing the high level of shop fit we have come to expect from WIP.

Exhibiting whitewashed walls and plenty of exposed woodwork, the store once again shows off exactly how a shop fit should be executed. The stores brickwork frames the etchings of ball pen artist Shohei who has produced a number of sublime works for WIP. No Carhartt opening would be complete without its crowning glory, a one of a kind branded light box positioned on the first feature wall as one enters the store. To coincide with the opening an exclusive tee featuring a Fleur de Lys design was released, giving a regional flavour to the release.

Next up were the openings of Zurich and Bordeaux as well as "The Carhartt Square" pop up store in Milan, all of which opened in the space of three days. Zurich works its space well with shelving being used extremely effectively, allowing for the unit to house all those essentials without swamping the environment and pulling away from the one thing which is inherent to any WIP store, that being the experience of witnessing something beautifully delivered and hand crafted in a unique and unmistakable manner. Milan's Carhartt Square pop up was hosted by Slam Jam store and served as both a store housing the FW’12 core and heritage collections as well as a showroom. Each of the stores, including Milan, were also graced by a limited run of tees exclusive to location.

Zaragoza was the last of the September openings on the 21st, however no imagery of the store has dropped just yet but you can check WIP news for further details. It's been an intense month for the brand but, that being said, I’m sure the team are already planning their next set of launches as I write this.

If you have an interest in shop fit and Carhartt WIP you can keep up to date with all the latest news here.