![\"Carhartt](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Edwin-Faeh-Salome-Faeh-1.jpg\")
Carhartt WIP founders Edwin and Salom\u00e9e Faeh<\/p>\n Carhartt WIP founders Edwin and Salom\u00e9e Faeh<\/p>\n
Established in 1994 by Edwin and Salom\u00e9e Faeh as a subdivision of the iconic American workwear brand, Carhartt WIP is responsible for introducing Europeans to the utilitarian aesthetic of its parent company. Originally famous in the US for making sturdy overalls for late-19th<\/sup> century railroad workers, Carhartt\u2019s image boomed in the 1980s, when its baggy trousers and hoodies became popular with hip-hop fans, graffiti writers and skaters. Since then styles have come and gone, but Edwin and Salom\u00e9e\u2019s commitment to timeless wearable fashion has remained the same \u2013\u00a0an approach that\u2019s paying dividends through streetwear\u2019s current catwalk renaissance. SLEEK: Which elements from the original American Carhartt were most important to retain when starting Carhartt WIP?<\/strong> \nEdwin: After 40 years, the American label Lee still focuses on three key items: blue jeans, western shirts and jean jackets. The original Carhartt is very similar, but at WIP we\u2019ve expanded our offerings to include about 15 items. While this really helped us position ourselves when hip-hop gained popularity in the Eighties, we\u2019re aware that we didn\u2019t invent this style. Rappers in New York and the entire underground scene were already wearing the original Carhartt as it was cheaper than most denim brands. Plus, Carhartt offered a wider selection of sizes, which was important during a time when hip-hop was all about the baggy fit. Hip-hop is actually where a lot of the inspiration for Carhartt WIP stems from. Carhartt WIP has always been associated with skate culture, Hip-hop and graffiti. How have you been able to maintain relevancy in these scenes after all these years?<\/strong> \nEdwin: We have always been very honest. We never abuse the artists, skaters, BMX riders or DJs that we work with. Of course, we\u2019re not able to pay a skater $10,000 a month, but the individuals we do work with always enjoy our support. We understand that better opportunities may arise with bigger brands like Nike or Adidas, and when that happens we are always happy to see someone move on. We\u2019ve never stopped supporting these scenes and I think that\u2019s why they continue to stand behind us.<\/p>\n What do you think about high fashion labels appropriating workwear?<\/strong> \nEdwin: It’s flattering if brands like Gucci and all these luxury labels want to start supporting graffiti writers or using skateboarders in their advertising. They\u2019re doing it to follow a trend, though, and we are doing it with authenticity. As streetwear hits the runways of Paris and Milan, original pioneers Carhartt WIP remind us of the style’s hip-hop roots<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[1516,1517,8361,6572,1283,8362,8065,364,1348],"class_list":["post-50173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","tag-carhartt","tag-carhartt-wip","tag-edwin-faeh","tag-fashion-books","tag-print","tag-salomee-faeh","tag-sleek-53","tag-street-style","tag-streetwear"],"acf":{"main_category":null,"legacy":"1","exclude_from_ads":null,"hero_title":null,"subtitle":null,"hero":null,"teasers":null,"facebook_image":null,"related_articles":null,"next_article":null,"sleek_card_focus":null,"content":null},"yoast_head":"\n
\nTo celebrate their enduring success, the brand has published The Carhartt WIP Archives<\/em>, a book documenting the various subcultures that have embraced their threads. Looking back at their accomplishments throughout the years, SLEEK sat down with Edwin and Salom\u00e9e to hear about their company\u2019s origins, and how it\u2019s remained box-fresh.<\/p>\n![\"Carhartt](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/CarharttWIP_Rizzoli_p.414.jpg\")
Carhartt Inc Postcard ca. 1960<\/p>\n
\nYou\u2019ve teamed up with brands like St\u00fcssy and Patta in the past to create successful collaborations. How do you choose which brands to work with?<\/strong> \nEdwin: When selecting a brand to partner with, it\u2019s important that both entities work well together. Further, each party should benefit from it. In 2013 we released a collection with APC, a label that is very classic and refined. In order for the partnership to work, we had to integrate a certain “dirtiness”. People often think of Carhartt WIP as too rough or too young or too street, and we used this [collaboration] to find a perfect balance.<\/p>\n\n
“It’s flattering if these luxury labels want to start supporting graffiti writers [but] they\u2019re doing it to follow a trend” \u2013 Edwin Faeh<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"Carhartt](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/CarharttWIP_Rizzoli_p.53.jpg\")
Shyheim, an affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan, photographed by Xavier De Nauw, mid-90s<\/p>\n
\nSalom\u00e9e: Other brands are only in it for commercial reasons, but we\u2019ve been here since the start.
\nYou mentioned skateboarding\u2019s role in your popularity. With the sport joining the Olympics in 2020, could you see yourself sponsoring skaters at the event?<\/strong> \nEdwin: I don\u2019t know if this is a good thing. The games have gotten out of control with the sports they include, and I\u2019m not just talking about skateboarding. They need to focus on the original set of competitions from ancient Greece. The Olympics should be the Olympics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"