Finding its place in Plaza Senayan, Carhartt WIP—a subdivision of the popular workwear Detroit brand Carhartt—opens its first flagship store in Indonesia, welcoming Jakarta to the brand’s long list of cities that have shaped its legacy. That global heritage is embodied in the new store’s layout, which contains artistic fingerprints of contemporary creatives from Italy, England and Germany—manifesting in a contemporary flair that reflects the philosophy of the garments displayed on its panels.
To celebrate the store’s opening, the brand launched the Jakarta Capsule collection that consisted of t-shirts and Detroit jackets designed with hand-drawn motifs which pay a nod to the city’s ubiquitous food stall banners. While the items were quickly sold out, the release of the limited edition endures as a reflection of Carhartt WIP’s heritage of engaging with different cities and cultures. The humble, familiar scenes of Jakarta have become the latest edition to a network that spans from Berlin’s techno scenes to New York’s skateboarding communities.
Beyond the capsule collection, the store showcases Carhartt WIP’s wider range of garments, pieces that lean toward a more fashion-forward sensibility while retaining the durability that defined the original brand. Whether it’s the lightweight cotton Columbia ripstop or the durable midweight Moraga twill, t-shirts and sweaters come in fits that allow for a roomier silhouette. Some still carry the brand’s utilitarian qualities, detailed with boxy workwear-inspired cuts and multiple pockets—while seasonal, graphic-led designs of monstrous animal motifs play on the more design-conscious end of the Carhartt WIP spectrum.
Of course, the pieces wouldn’t be complete without the signature durable workwear that was rooted in its Detroit origins—100 years before the WIP subsidiary started adapting it. Products like the classic Detroit jackets represent this traditional side of the brand’s heritage, tweaked to a slimmer, modern cut with the Dearborn Canvas, which becomes softer and more comfortable the longer it is used—creating a unique fit for the wearer. The same robust, heavy-weight fabric is used in the work pants, supplemented by practical elements such as utility pockets and hammer loops.
Fitting for a brand shaped by cities around the world, the store’s interior reflects Carhartt WIP’s international creative network. Multicultural influences are further channelled through the European craftsmanship that shapes the store’s design, overseen by Carhartt WIP co-founder Salomée Faeh and the Milan-based studio of Andrea Caputo. Upon entry, stands the special blue “C” sculpture, created by Murray Aitken of the London-based Counterfeit Studio — while a neon Carhartt logo handmade by German artist Pietro Sanguinetti hovers at the opposite opening.
Along with the art pieces, every element touches on Carhartt WIP’s idea of combining industrial ruggedness with a modern sensibility. From the polished black marble podium on a Persian Rug to the skateboards that hang among its hard wooden panels, these details speak to the philosophy of the collection just as much as the products on its shelves.
