Carhartt WIP E1 Store Opening

Last Thursday night saw Carhartt Work in Progress open the doors to their brand new store on Shoreditch Highstreet in London.

This launch makes it the fourth Carhartt store to open in the UK, and it's fair to say that the turnout was impressive and we, like many others, were eager to see what Carhartt WIP had done with the place.

The 'space' in question is in fact a 200 year old listed building with a history of its own - having once been a gentleman's barber and a confectioner. We managed to catch up with the team who shed some light on the process of restoring and renovating a space such as this.

Most, if not all, of the materials used in the store were specially sourced.

Reclaimed Douglas fir timbers from a decommissioned British military barracks were used to make the shelves, which have been built using traditional carpentry methods, and also split in two to make the floorboards. Decking from an old pier in Great Yarmouth was used to construct the counter surface and the table at the back of the store was made out of a 200 year old oak found on a dairy farm in Scotland.

These quality materials are unique and have intricate details that are a result of their history. Durability and traditional methods truly stand the test of time, and Carhartt's deliberate use of them is a clear acknowledgement of that fact.

The neon 'Carhartt' artwork was commissioned exclusively for the store and was created by Pietro Sanguineti. The Carhatt WIP store on Crosby Street in NYC has one too.

The WIP store will showcase a 'focused selection of top tier and collaborative products such as Uniform Experiment and A.P.C.'

I'd say that the launch was a tremendous success. It was good to see the Carhartt Crew fully enjoying themselves after seven intense months. The hard work has payed off though. The effort behind sourcing the materials and using traditional methods to create this contemporary space is a testament to the ethos of the brand.

Make sure you head down, the store can be found at 191 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU.

Images courtesy of No Face.