Dickies Taps Creatives to Reimagine Its Icon Products
● The Eisenhower jacket, work shirts and pants have been reimagined by nine global makers for the Blank Canvas program.
If you can’t beat ‘em, collaborate with ‘em. That could be the mantra for Dickies, which is partnering with nine creatives to reimagine some of its most iconic pieces.
In a program called Dickies Blank Canvas that kicks off on Tuesday, the Fort Worth, Texas-based workwear brand will begin dropping limited-edition pieces on a weekly basis that have been altered by one of the creatives. Phase one of the program will run through Dec. 13 and will include reimagined versions of the Eisenhower jacket, the 874 work pants, the bib overall and the work shirt and vest.
Sarah Crockett, global chief marketing officer for Dickies, said the brand had been aware for a while that consumers were taking its products, styling them in different ways, painting on them, or otherwise personalizing the garments. When these pieces were showcased by the makers on social media — TikTok in particular, she said — the company realized it “created an exciting opportunity for the brand.”
The result was Dickies Blank Canvas, which the company began teasing through e-mails and on social media last week.
Crockett said that with Dickies celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, programs such as Blank Canvas can “carry the brand the next 100 years.”
She said the nine creators were selected because they were established fans of the brand and also offered a unique perspective. They are from all walks of life and live all around the world, she said.
The program starts with Andrew Burgess of Concord, North Carolina, or @wandythemaker, who reinterpreted the 874 work pants. Burgess draws inspiration from thrift stores, where he found secondhand items to upcycle with wild patterns and innovative patchwork designs.
Next will be Amber Griffiths from Shropshire, England, or @ambroidering, who started as a costume design student and will use her embroidery skills to reimagine the canvas Eisenhower jacket on Oct. 25.
On Nov. 1, @dippyhippietiedyes, or Kayla Gerkens of Red River Gorge, Kentucky, will use her skills as an artist on Dickies' canvas women's overalls. Graffiti and street artist Nii-Armah Hammond of Hamburg, Germany, @armah.art, will take on the Eisenhower jacket on Nov. 8. Peder Cho of Los Angeles, California, @utopia.us, used the skills he learned at his father's tailoring shop to update the brand's overall vest.
On Nov. 22, Corky Lorenz of Elkhart, Indiana, or @corkylorenz, a self-professed “collector of hobbies,” will use geode tie-dye art to personalize the women's work shirts. The following week, HaengWon Choi of Seoul, South Korea, @joegush, a wardrobe designer who focused on vintage remakes, and Robin Lordereau of Paris, @robin.lrdr, who started designing garments out of bedsheets during the pandemic, and Shinichiro Ishibashi of Tokyo, the founder of the Kuon brand, @kuon_tokyo, will all offer their takes on the Eisenhower jacket.
“Dickies is honored to shine a light on these nine individuals who created one-of-a-kind pieces of wearable art that salutes the heritage of Dickies while embracing the future of innovative and sustainable designs,” Crockett said. “Taking inspiration from our traditional workwear silhouettes, these makers infused their passion and creativity into every stitch of this collection, and we are proud to introduce a platform that will celebrate the maker in all of us for the next 100 years.”
Crockett said each piece is handmade and one-of-a-kind and will be only offered in limited quantities on the Dickies website. As a result, they are expected to sell out quickly. They will retail for $70 to $300 and will not be recreated once they're gone.
Crockett said the goal of this program is to embrace the Dickies community, which she said is “such a part of getting us to 100 years. This is the single most important giveback for our community and it's as much in their hands as it is ours.”
And this is just the beginning of the program. “It's day one for us,” she said. “We look at this as a really critical brand platform for the long term.”