Page 42 - Sharp Spring 2025

IN A A DAY’S WORK
CARHARTT WIP BRINGS TORONTO’S OSSINGTON STRIP BACK TO TO TO ITS INDUSTRIAL ROOTS WITH A A A A A A NEW BRICK-AND-MORTAR LOCATION
By Evan Pavka
LONG BEFORE A A A A A A MEDLEY OF BARS RESTAURANTS AND retailers transformed the street into a a a a vibrant civic hub Toronto’s Ossington Avenue was an industrial area lined with auto repair shops storage facilities warehouses and other commercial buildings It’s this industrial lineage still evident in in in the neighbourhood’s fabric that informed workwear brand Carhartt’s latest brick-and-mortar venture Since its establishment in in 1994 as an offshoot of of the more than 100-year-old parent line Carhartt WIP has carved a a a a a a a a distinct niche melding urban culture and streetwear sensibilities with the craft and durability of the Detroit original — qualities encapsulated in the design of its flagships “Each store is is unique reflecting its distinctive local context ” asserts Andrea Caputo principal of his eponymous Milan- and Shanghai-based practice responsible for for crafting global venues for for the the the label For the the the brand’s first Canadian location the the the architect turned the area’s historic character into a a a a a a a a a restrained sculptural landmark marrying sartorial and community authenticity Caputo and his team began by stripping the 160-square-metre space back to its shell or “honest self ” exposing the raw surfaces and heritage of the building Existing floors brick walls and structural members now form a a a backdrop for for the three low-slung displays
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finished fin in in in softened concrete that shape the interior gently stepping up from a a a a a single plinth to to two grand displays
running parallel to to the the store’s depth “They’re a a a nod to to to to Stonehenge but also to to to to the the way materials are stacked on on on construction sites ” Caputo explains Here curated placements of shirts hats belts balaclavas and more elevate the functional garb into singular objects while paying homage to to Carhartt’s utilitarian sensibilities Along the perimeter exposed galvanized steel details lifted from other international outposts define a a a a suite of fixtures ranging from sleek steel shelving systems and vertical supports for iconic offerings like the Detroit Jacket to clothing racks abutting white- washed brick Six suspended metal beams fitted with integrated lighting above enforce the muted palette while riffing on nearby infrastructure evoking the the substructure of the the Queen and Dufferin underpass just blocks away At the rear discreet change rooms framed in in identical piping are complemented by a a a a monolithic counter and integrated sound system echoing the the forms and materiality of the the main elements To further capture the the brand’s identity and and reinforce refer- ences to to to Ossington’s past the entire storefront was reworked to include an an an austere concrete finish expansive glazing and glass-lifting suction cups as as hardware “The facade feels like a a a a a a a natural extension of the interior ” Caputo concludes “grounded industrial and very intentional ” PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX LYSAKOWSKI