The UK continues to cement itself as the new epicentre of skateboarding with the forthcoming CARHARTT WIP X ISLE FW16 capsule collection and exhibition.
Isle Skateboards is relatively new, but the brand’s pedigree goes way back. The company was founded by Nick Jensen and Paul Shier, two Blueprint alumni who played leading roles in reinvigorating skate culture in the UK, and Chris Aylen who handles the creative direction. But what really sets Isle apart is its ability to merge the worlds of art, design and skateboarding without ever being pretentious, resulting in a unique graphic style that means you’ll have a tough time deciding whether to ride their boards or hang them up on your wall.
Carhartt WIP is always forward-thinking in its collaborations, and for this release the two brands have enlisted artist (and skater) Raphaël Zarka to create a series of geometric wooden forms that act as both artworks and skate obstacles at the same time. These skateable sculptures form the basis of an exhibition at London’s Protein Studios, while Zarka’s beautiful geometric sketches appear as graphics on a selection of tees and boards. A tight colour palette of grey, black, white and blue ties it all together, reaching its pinnacle with an eye-catching take on the classic Carhartt canvas chore jacket.
The CARHARTT WIP X ISLE FW16 capsule collection will be available from FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER, and the exhibition runs from 18-24 NOVEMBER at PROTEIN STUDIOS, 31 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EY. In conjunction with the exhibition, a special edit of Raphaël’s work has been created by Dan Magee: see the trailer below. In the meantime, you can take a look at some highlights of the project below and shop the latest Carhartt releases with END. by clicking on the banner.