Inside Toronto’s New Carhartt WIP Store

It’s fitting that the new Carhartt WIP store in Toronto has landed on Ossington — a street that embodies the ongoing evolution of the city’s west end. Just half a block from a massive self-storage warehouse and steps away from some of the city’s most vibrant restaurants and retail spaces, the new location perfectly reflects the brand’s DNA. 

To be clear, Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) is global brand in its own right. Founded in 1994, Carhartt WIP quickly made a name for itself, launching distinctive collections that adapt core offerings from the original American label. Premium materials and refined silhouettes reign supreme. With a long history of connecting to art, music, and subcultures around the world, the brand has become shorthand for a certain type of laidback cool.

The Scene

In the depths of a January cold snap, the crowd at the Carhartt WIP opening is on-brand — a curated cross-section of Toronto’s hip intelligentsia: photographers, graphic designers, creative directors, and stylists. Half the crowd is already wearing Carhartt along with their knit toques, puffers, sneakers, and boots — proof of the brand’s gravitational pull. Everyone looks casual but deliberate; it’s pure Carhartt WIP.  

Circulating trays offer a mix of elevated bites: mini tartare, and squash with whipped vegan ricotta perched delicately on crackers. Drinks are equally on-point, featuring seltzers from the buzzed-about Barbet, alongside wine, bubbles, and ice-cold Modelos.

Behind the decks, Ciel spins a flawless set with beats that only build in energy and volume as the night goes on.  

The Space

The space itself is a stunning study in contemporary design, defined by clean lines and an open layout with distinct industrial detailing. Large, polished concrete bases showcase the products while sleek, stainless steel light fixtures shine above. It’s all so precise, it may as well have been designed by an Italian architect — in fact, it was. Milan-based architecture studio Andrea Caputo, which has designed Carhartt WIP flagships in Paris, Vienna, London, and Manila (as well as everything from a library in South Korea to a science museum in Rome), designed the space with Carhartt WIP co-founder Salomée Faeh. 

The Clothes

Of course, the clothes were the real stars of the night. The racks were lined with WIP’s greatest hits: Detroit jackets, neatly folded canvas and denim everywhere, with everything softly organized — menswear on one side, women’s styles on the other. The graphic tees take centre stage at the front, inviting you to pick them up and try them on. 

The Exclusive Items To Come

A limited selection of store-exclusive items are also in the works. Through graphics, Carhartt WIP will pay homage to the neighbourhood’s rich history, as well as the people and landmarks that shaped its current landscape. One example includes the long-gone (but not forgotten) Crawford Street Bridge that stood in Trinity Bellwoods Park decades ago. A fitting design for a city that is changing faster than ever.

Welcome to the neighbourhood, Carhartt WIP. You fit right in.

Photography by Alex Lysakowski.

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