Ten Reasons Why Woolrich Bosses the Collab Game
The "blink and you missed it" collaboration between the legendary house of outerwear Woolrich and the new kings of New York, Aimé Leon Dore is undoubtedly going to rank highly on many a person's collab of the year lists. That autumnal-toned checked puffer in rain-resistant tweed was enough on its own to cause a ripple, but the horse riding campaign lookbook took the collection to Instagram shareability overload. In their second year of working together, everything about the partnership makes sense, Aimé strives for the finest fabrics in everything they do. The partners they work with all have a rich heritage that aligns with the brand's aesthetic and values. When it comes to high-quality fabrics and heritage Woolrich has it by the bucket load, and that's why they boast such a glittering list of past collaborators.
Each Woolrich collaboration makes use of their knowledge of warm, hardwearing fabrics and silhouettes that have been produced for over 100 years. Their list of partners in the past three years alone is a whos who of your favorite brands. From American streetwear heavy hitters Stüssy, Supreme, and Awake NY to the nuanced Japanese craft of Beams, Nanamica, and Engineered Garments, Woolrich has worked with them all.
Spoilt for choice we trawled through the recent Woolrich collaborative archives to pick out their best co-created items in recent memory.
Supreme Blanket (FW17)
The humble wool blanket was one of Woolrich's first products, making sure those lumberjacks stayed warm during the night. Showcasing Supreme's counter-cultural take on the world and Woolrich's rich heritage in blanket making, the Eat Shit 95% wool blanket made sure that the scores of Supreme fans queuing for the next drop could stay warm just like those lumberjacks 100 years before them.
NEW BALANCE MADE IN USA 997 (FW17)
Before New Balance almost single-handedly revived the sneaker industry with their successful year of collabs in 2020, Woolrich was already working with the brand elevating their classic 997 Silhouette. These two giants of American style heritage and industry came together in FW17 bringing a touch of coziness to the 997 uppers with a subtle addition of hardwearing Grey wool to the forefoot.
OVO BLANKET (FW17)
Seemingly Woolrich had a thing for blankets in FW17. Drake's Octobers Very Own label got in on the act linking with Woolrich to create this decadent monogram wool blanket. You can imagine Drake handing these out to guests at his mansion whilst they settle down to an evening of storytelling and hot chocolate. Selling out in under an hour the blanket was a stand-out piece in the collaboration that also featured two OVO branded wool plaid jackets putting Woolrich's iconic check to excellent use.
ENGINEERED GARMENTS BOMBER JACKET (FW18)
With Woolrich's strong relationship with Daiki Suzuki, it was no surprise to see this fabric collaboration in FW18. Blending Engineered Garment's love for Americana and craftsmanship with one of the forebearers of Americana was a masterstroke and cumulated in a gorgeous collection themed around Woolrich's iconic Buffalo Check. Our stand out piece of the collection was this wool bomber that blended Woolrich's finest materials, a subtle nod to the Buffalo check and all the craft and beauty Engineered Garments brings to the table.
AWAKE NY TIMBER JACKET (FW18)
Awake NY honed in on Woolrich's roots in hip-hop culture for this drop taking Woolrich's iconic Buffalo check as the center point for their collection of Timber Jackets. Just put this on, close your eyes, and imagine it's winter 1994 and you have just put Nas's Illmatic on the stereo for the very first time.
NANAMICA ARCTIC PARKA (FW18)
Mix one iconic Arctic Park with double-layered Gore-Tex, Kodenshi down filing, add one of Japan's most coveted outdoor brands, and you will get an outerwear piece of the highest order. When Woolrich partnered with Nanamica they really pushed the boat out. This never to be matched parka is fit for both Arctic expeditions and flex heavy grocery runs in equal measure.
BEAMS+ WOOLRICH COLLECTION (FW19)
Ok so we couldn't pick an individual item from this collection as everything is so damn good, and to be fair, this is more a of 4-piece designed to be worn together. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Japanese retailer, Beams+ secured the services of Daiki Suzuki (a reoccurring character in this editorial) to design this collection. Suzuki took Woolrich's traditional Big game hunting check put it through a Black Watch check colorway and applied it to a set of classic Woolrich archival silhouettes. He didn't stop there, tweaking each item to incorporate Beams+ modern take on Varsity references and updating the fits for a more modern feel.
GRIFFIN REVERSIBLE POACHER COAT (FW19)
If you don't know Griffin, it is a design studio based off the coast of the UK that brings sustainability and carbon neutrality into everything they design. Where most Woolrich partners focus on the brand's heritage, Griffen looked to the future creating this reversible masterpiece that can transform from parka to sleeping bag/poncho in the flick of a zip. Griffin carefully thought about how to reduce waste and its carbon footprint in every part of the making process, working with several specialized organizations to ensure every part of the parka and the processes used in making it remained within their sustainability values.
N.HOOLYWOOD WOOL SHIRT (FW19)
The final Japanese collaboration on the list comes from N.Hoolywood. N.Hoolywood's creative director Daisuke Obana started out as a buyer for a vintage clothing store in Tokyo, and you can certainly see his great eye for a vintage find with this collection. For us, the wool shirts are our stand our pieces from the collaboration. Although inspired by the past, taking their influence from the Chief Petty Officer shirts once worn by the US Navy, Obana definitely saw something from the future capturing that FW20 Prep spirit in his use of color.
STÜSSY WORK SHIRT (FW19)
Last but not least is this gem from Stüssy and Woolrich. When one of the world's oldest streetwear brands links with one of its oldest outdoor brands you would expect a piece of the highest quality. The green and black plaid work shirt that came out of this partnership did not disappoint. Hard-wearing, heavyweight American wool, Dupont Tactel lining, and subtle branding put this to the top of the must-have list last fall, and for those that managed to cop, it will be one of those pieces you reach for again and again.
