From Detroit hip-hop to Berlin techno. The story of a brand that didn’t just dress musicians, but gradually became part of the underground itself.
Some brands are associated with a particular lifestyle. Others become symbols of entire musical genres. And then there’s Carhartt — a label that started out making clothing for railroad workers but eventually found its way into rap videos, DJ photography, Berlin clubs, the streets of New York, and recording studios in Detroit.
Today, Carhartt is more than just work jackets, heavyweight cotton, overalls, and its instantly recognisable C logo. It has become part of the visual language of several generations of musicians. Its presence can be found in hip-hop, techno, grime, punk, skate culture, and independent electronic music.
But the most interesting part of this story is that Carhartt didn’t simply remain a clothing brand worn by musicians. Over time, it began building its own musical infrastructure: launching radio projects, collaborating with independent record labels, supporting artists, and partnering with clubs that have become important landmarks on the global electronic music map.
To understand how this happened, we need to go back to the beginning.
1. From Workwear to the Streets of Detroit
The history of Carhartt began in 1889, when Hamilton Carhartt founded a company in Michigan, USA, dedicated to producing workwear. Its original products were designed primarily for railroad workers and people engaged in manual labour.
Durability, functionality, and practicality were the defining characteristics of the brand. Heavy cotton canvas, reinforced stitching, loose fits, and spacious pockets made its clothing suitable for demanding working conditions.
For decades, Carhartt remained primarily a manufacturer of professional workwear. Music culture had virtually nothing to do with the brand.
However, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, things began to change.
Hip-hop was rapidly developing its own visual identity. Clothing became an extension of musical identity: baggy jeans, oversized jackets, sneakers, tracksuits, and garments borrowed from working-class environments.
This was where Carhartt found its place.
Rappers were drawn to an aesthetic that felt natural in an urban environment. Unlike luxury designer clothing, Carhartt wasn’t trying to look expensive. Its appeal was rooted in simplicity, functionality, and recognisable design.
Its relaxed silhouettes also fitted perfectly with the oversized aesthetic of hip-hop at the time.
During the early 1990s, Carhartt began gaining popularity among rappers, graffiti artists, and members of various urban subcultures. The brand itself identifies 1992 as one of the key moments in the development of its streetwear reputation.
Gradually, a work jacket became more than just a work jacket. It became part of the visual identity of people who belonged to a particular urban culture.
Detroit played an important role in this transformation. It was not only the city closely associated with Carhartt’s origins, but also a centre of American industrial history and the birthplace of Detroit techno.
An interesting cultural connection emerged: workwear from an industrial city became popular among musicians creating entirely new sounds within that same urban environment.
2. Hip-Hop: Carhartt Becomes Part of Rap’s Visual Language
If we had to identify the musical genre that first helped Carhartt gain recognition beyond the world of workwear, the answer would undoubtedly be hip-hop.
During the 1990s, the brand became closely associated with the aesthetics of American rap. Its clothing naturally fitted into the era of oversized silhouettes, street photography, and music videos.
Among the musicians associated with Carhartt and its wider streetwear culture are:
* Eazy-E — one of the defining figures of West Coast hip-hop and a member of N.W.A.
* 2Pac — an artist whose visual identity helped define the image of 1990s American rap.
* Nas — a representative of New York hip-hop and the classic aesthetics of streetwear.
* Beastie Boys — a group that brought together hip-hop, punk, and alternative music culture.
* Danny Brown — a representative of a later generation of Detroit rap.
It is important to distinguish between documented brand collaborations and artists who were simply part of the wider cultural environment in which Carhartt became popular. Not every musician mentioned here was an official ambassador or participant in an advertising campaign.
That distinction is essential when understanding Carhartt’s influence. The brand gained recognition not solely through advertising contracts, but through its organic adoption by music communities.
In a sense, Carhartt became part of hip-hop’s everyday uniform.
Music videos, concert photography, album artwork, and street documentaries helped spread this image far more effectively than traditional advertising.
What made the brand particularly interesting was that its clothing never looked as though it had been specifically designed for musicians. These were garments that existed independently of the music industry and acquired a new cultural meaning through the people who wore them.
This is how a work jacket became a symbol of an entire aesthetic.
3. Carhartt WIP: From Clothing to Cultural Influence
In 1989, German entrepreneur Edwin Faeh began introducing American workwear to the European market.
In 1994, he founded Carhartt Work In Progress — a direction that would eventually become an independent cultural and fashion phenomenon.
It is important to understand the distinction between the two.
Carhartt is the original American brand with a long history of producing workwear.
Carhartt WIP is its European counterpart, adapting original designs for contemporary urban environments while preserving their recognisable aesthetic and functional qualities.
Carhartt WIP played a crucial role in the brand’s musical history.
European music culture in the 1990s was particularly diverse. Breakbeat, jungle, and UK garage were developing in Britain. France was building its own hip-hop culture. Germany was becoming a major centre for electronic music and techno.
Carhartt WIP entered this environment almost simultaneously with the development of its own identity.
In 1995, Carhartt clothing appeared in Mathieu Kassovitz’s cult French film La Haine. The film became an important visual document of urban culture and was closely connected to the atmosphere of youth subcultures and hip-hop.
It was a significant moment in Carhartt’s European recognition.
The brand was no longer perceived exclusively as American workwear. It was becoming associated with the European underground.
Over time, Carhartt WIP began interacting not only with rappers, but also with independent musicians, DJs, producers, and club promoters.
This established one of the defining characteristics of the brand: its interest in music was never limited to the biggest names in the industry.
Carhartt WIP paid attention to local scenes and musicians who often existed outside mainstream music culture.
4. Detroit Techno and Berlin: Music as Part of the Brand’s DNA
Carhartt’s relationship with electronic music is one of the most fascinating chapters in its history.
Detroit and Berlin are two cities that have had an enormous influence on the development of global electronic music.
Detroit gave birth to techno. Following German reunification, Berlin became one of the world’s most important centres of club culture and electronic music.
Both cities have industrial pasts, and their musical identities were shaped in many ways by urban architecture, industrial spaces, and their social environments.
Carhartt WIP naturally found itself part of this cultural dialogue.
One particularly significant collaboration was with Underground Resistance, the independent Detroit music collective and record label founded in the late 1980s.
Underground Resistance is much more than a record label. Its identity is connected to artistic independence, experimental electronic music, and the distinctive philosophy of Detroit’s underground scene.
In 2017, Carhartt WIP officially joined forces with Underground Resistance for a collaborative project.
This partnership was particularly meaningful because the brand wasn’t working with a mainstream pop artist. It was collaborating with a musical institution that is itself part of techno history.
For Carhartt, it was an opportunity to reinforce its connection with Detroit and independent music culture.
Another important direction was the brand’s relationship with Tresor, the legendary Berlin club and record label.
In 2025, Carhartt WIP presented Carhartt WIP x Tresor: A Techno Alliance.
The collaboration brought Detroit and Berlin together in a single cultural statement.
The project included:
* A limited-edition clothing and accessories collection.
* A vinyl compilation titled 030313.
* Musical events in Detroit and Berlin.
* Performances and contributions from artists representing both electronic music scenes.
The compilation’s title refers to the telephone area codes of the two cities: 030 for Berlin and 313 for Detroit.
The musical programme featured Model 500, Ectomorph, DJ Stingray 313, JakoJako, Erik Jabari, and other representatives of the electronic music scene.
The involvement of Model 500 — the project of Juan Atkins, one of the pioneers of Detroit techno — was particularly symbolic.
In this case, Carhartt didn’t simply release clothing featuring a club’s logo. It created a complete cultural project connecting clothing, music, vinyl, artists, and live events.
This was no longer an ordinary fashion collaboration. It was a partnership between two cultural institutions.
5. Combination Records: When a Clothing Brand Starts Releasing Music
One of Carhartt WIP’s most interesting decisions was the creation of its own music label.
In 2000, Edwin Faeh, Oliver Drewes, and Philipp Mayburg founded Combination Records.
The label was conceived as a platform for supporting and presenting new electronic music.
The very existence of a record label within a company primarily associated with clothing says a lot about Carhartt’s unconventional approach to cultural marketing.
Rather than simply using music in advertising campaigns, the brand decided to participate directly in its distribution.
Combination Records reflected Carhartt WIP’s interest in independent electronic music and the artists operating within that scene.
This is particularly significant because independent record labels have traditionally played an important role in the development of genres that have yet to receive mainstream recognition.
They help artists release music, build communities around particular sounds, and provide an alternative to major record companies.
Carhartt WIP effectively brought part of this philosophy into its own activities.
Music became more than just an element of brand communication. It became an independent direction of the brand itself.
6. Carhartt WIP Radio: A Platform for the Musical Underground
In 2008, another important project emerged: Carhartt WIP Radio.
Its purpose was to provide a platform for musical artists, independent labels, and representatives of different scenes.
It was a logical next step following Combination Records.
The radio project allowed Carhartt to engage with music culture on a much broader level than individual collaborations could offer.
Artists didn’t need to be famous or signed to a major label. What mattered was their musical perspective, creative identity, and connection to a particular community.
Over the years, Carhartt WIP Radio became a platform for mixes, music selections, and discovering artists from different countries.
In 2018, the project celebrated its tenth anniversary.
The importance of this format should not be underestimated. Independent radio stations and music platforms have historically played a significant role in the development of electronic music.
They introduce audiences to new genres, local artists, and experimental sounds.
Carhartt WIP became part of this tradition.
Instead of simply talking about music, the brand gave musicians a platform to be heard.
This philosophy continued through further collaborations with independent radio platforms and artist development programmes.
7. Motown, Fela Kuti and Trojan Records: Respect for Musical Heritage
Carhartt WIP’s relationship with music isn’t limited to contemporary musicians.
The brand has repeatedly explored music history, creating projects dedicated to important musical movements and influential record labels.
In 2018, Carhartt WIP presented a special capsule collection dedicated to the British record label Trojan Records.
Trojan Records played an enormous role in bringing Jamaican music to the UK. Its history is closely connected to reggae, ska, and rocksteady.
It was more than a record company. Trojan became part of the cultural history of Britain’s Jamaican communities and influenced the development of subsequent musical movements.
In 2019, Carhartt WIP released two further projects celebrating musical heritage.
The first was dedicated to Motown, the legendary American record label from Detroit that changed the history of soul, R&B, and pop music.
Motown introduced the world to artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and The Jackson 5.
The second project was dedicated to Fela Kuti, the Nigerian musician, composer, and pioneer of Afrobeat.
Fela Kuti was far more than a performer. His music became a vehicle for social and political expression, and his legacy has influenced several generations of musicians.
Carhartt WIP’s decision to work with these names demonstrates that the brand is interested in more than current trends.
It engages with music history and recognises the influence of artists and labels that helped shape contemporary musical cultures.
There is a clear consistency in this approach: Carhartt began as a workwear company and eventually started collaborating with musical institutions that possess their own rich histories and identities.
8. Moodymann, Danny Brown, Flohio and a New Generation of Artists
Some of the artists associated with Carhartt WIP deserve particular attention because their relationship with the brand extends beyond simply wearing its clothing.
Moodymann is one of the most recognisable figures in Detroit’s house music scene.
His sound combines house, soul, jazz, disco, and elements of African American musical traditions.
Moodymann represents precisely the kind of musical environment that has historically been close to Carhartt WIP.
In 2018, the brand presented the documentary project Soul Skate, filmed at Moodymann’s festival in Detroit. It was another example of Carhartt engaging with local music culture.
Danny Brown is a Detroit rapper known for his experimental approach to hip-hop.
His name frequently appears in discussions of Carhartt’s musical culture and the brand’s connection with Detroit’s rap scene.
This is particularly symbolic: the city where Carhartt was founded more than a century ago continues to produce music with which the brand maintains an ongoing cultural dialogue.
Flohio is a British rapper of Nigerian heritage who represents London’s contemporary underground scene.
Her relationship with Carhartt WIP began in 2017, when she appeared in the brand’s 2117 project dedicated to its iconic Chore Coat.
In 2022, Flohio became one of the artists featured in Carhartt WIP’s Autumn/Winter campaign.
Alongside her, the campaign featured experimental musician Tweaks, who had participated in the NTS WIP artist development programme in 2021.
British hip-hop artist Lord Apex also appeared in the campaign.
These examples demonstrate that Carhartt WIP continues to work with musicians representing different directions of contemporary independent music.
The brand doesn’t necessarily choose the most commercially successful performers. What matters is an artist’s cultural identity and their connection to a particular musical community.
9. CLIPSE: When Hip-Hop Becomes an Official Collaboration
In 2025, Carhartt WIP presented another interesting musical project: CLIPSE Engineered by Carhartt WIP.
CLIPSE is the influential American hip-hop duo from Virginia, consisting of Pusha T and Malice.
The group is known for its distinctive sound, complex lyrics, and considerable influence on American rap.
The collaboration was timed to coincide with the release of their new album Let God Sort Em Out and the group’s upcoming world tour.
The project included a specially designed capsule collection.
This collaboration is particularly interesting when viewed in the context of Carhartt’s relationship with hip-hop.
In the 1990s, rappers independently chose Carhartt clothing and made it part of their visual identity. Today, the brand directly partners with representatives of the genre to create collaborative products.
It is a kind of cultural full circle: music helped shape the brand’s reputation, and decades later, the brand has returned to music as a fully established creative partner.
This is one of the clearest examples of how far Carhartt has moved beyond its original role as a workwear manufacturer.
10. Nicholas Daley: Clothing, Reggae and a Family History in Music
Another notable project was Carhartt WIP’s collaboration with British designer Nicholas Daley, presented in 2025.
At first glance, this might seem like a straightforward fashion collaboration.
But its musical context is much more interesting.
Nicholas Daley’s parents, Maureen and Jeffrey Daley, were involved in organising The Reggae Klub — a music event that travelled across Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s.
Music culture is therefore deeply embedded in the designer’s family history.
For the joint project, Carhartt WIP and Nicholas Daley created a 13-piece capsule collection.
The collaboration was built around their shared appreciation of music and the cultural environments that grow around it.
At the same time, Carhartt WIP Radio presented a mix titled Rise As One by Ayanna Heaven, a Jamaican musician based in Brooklyn.
Once again, the brand demonstrated its characteristic approach: bringing together clothing, musical heritage, contemporary artists, and independent music platforms.
11. What Actually Connects Carhartt and Music?
Looking at these projects together, several common principles become clear.
First — independence.
Carhartt WIP has historically gravitated towards musical communities that operate outside the conventional commercial system.
Underground Resistance, Tresor, independent electronic producers, and local radio stations all represent a culture in which creative identity often matters more than commercial success.
Second — urban environments.
Carhartt has industrial origins, and its musical connections are particularly strong in cities with a distinctive industrial history.
Detroit and Berlin are the most obvious examples.
Urban culture, abandoned factories, clubs, recording studios, and independent creative spaces have all helped shape the aesthetic associated with the brand.
Third — functionality and authenticity.
Musicians don’t always need clothing that attracts attention for its own sake.
Sometimes comfort, durability, and the ability to wear something every day matter more.
Carhartt was originally built around exactly this philosophy.
Fourth — respect for musical heritage.
Collaborations with Motown, Trojan Records, Fela Kuti, Underground Resistance, and Tresor demonstrate that the brand sees music as more than a marketing tool.
It engages with music history, supports its communities, and creates projects around influential musical institutions.
Fifth — visual identity.
Fashion and music have always influenced one another.
Stage outfits, album covers, artist photography, and music videos help create the visual memory of entire generations.
Carhartt has become part of that memory.
12. A Brand That Became Part of the Music Industry Without Being a Music Brand
Today, Carhartt occupies a rather unusual position.
It doesn’t manufacture musical instruments, operate as a record company, or specialise in the concert business.
Yet its presence in music is deeper than that of many brands that position themselves primarily through artist collaborations.
Carhartt has gone through several stages of cultural evolution.
First, its clothing was adopted by members of urban subcultures and the hip-hop scene. Then the brand became part of the European underground, electronic music, and skate culture. Eventually, Carhartt WIP began creating its own musical projects, supporting independent artists, and collaborating with influential musical institutions.
Today, it has developed into an entire ecosystem.
It includes radio projects, music selections, vinyl releases, documentaries, artist collaborations, capsule collections, and live events.
Throughout this evolution, Carhartt has preserved the qualities that made it recognisable in the first place: simplicity, functionality, and a connection to real urban environments.
Perhaps this is exactly why the brand continues to remain relevant to musicians across generations.
It doesn’t try to imitate music culture. It exists within it.
And that, perhaps, is the most important difference between Carhartt and the majority of fashion brands that use music purely as an advertising tool.
Carhartt didn’t just dress musicians. Musicians helped shape its cultural identity. And over time, the brand itself became one of the participants in the music culture it had once simply observed from the outside.
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This article was prepared for PRYCOT. An editorial overview of Carhartt’s musical history, cultural connections, and creative collaborations.