Corteiz has captured the minds and spending power of the Gen-Z streetwear community. Releasing products through a series of exciting and unpredictable events has catapulted the brand from its humble beginnings and into the cultural zeitgeist.
When you think of streetwear, the obvious heavyweights come to mind. Stüssy, Supreme, BAPE, and Palace. These companies operate out of several brick-and-mortar stores around the globe while updating their webstore when new products are released, commonly known as drops.
Corteiz also uses this release style through a password-protected site, creating the feeling of an IYKYK club that any die-hard streetwear head is a member of.
Born out of West London, the brand punctuates its drops through a series of in-person guerilla marketing activations. For example, 2022 brought us the“Da Great Bolo exchange,” which encouraged fans to exchange their winter-ready jackets for a Corteiz one, with the donated jackets going to St. Laurence’s Larder, a charity which aims to help those struggling to make ends meet.
In the same year, founder Clint returned with the “99p Market Stall” where cargos were sold for 99 pence but were only available for 2 hours. As you can imagine, this was a surefire way to whip up the hype.
The brand made headlines in January 2023 as it teased a collaboration with Nike. As expected, fans went wild for the release, with Paris, New York and London each getting its own colourway, sold exclusively in these cities. Scenes of kids storming the streets were posted over social media as they scrambled to get their hands on the limited-edition sneakers.
Clint previously worked as a music A&R as part of a group of creatives called Apex, undoubtedly informing and adding to the culture his brand has come to represent. Corteiz recently produced a carnival collection, taking inspiration from classic Jamaica National Team kits in an apt yellow, green and black colour scheme. Authentic in its approach, this labour of love was designed by people who regularly attend the event (which can be confirmed with a quick scroll through Instagram).
As well as authentically tapping into cultural moments, the brand has become a beacon of creativity, championing the work of some of London’s most exciting creatives, including Slawn, Gabriel Moses, Kwollem and Javel Berlin.
Every brand has a manifesto or mission statement, but Corteiz’s is particularly poignant. The phrase “Corteiz Rules The World” can be found embroidered into garments, and its product activations serve as a shining example of its immense power over its loyal audiences.
At a time when the streetwear machine appears to be in dire need of repair, and one of its largest players has been accused of systematic racism (ahem, Supreme) by its former creative director, could Corteiz be the future? We certainly think so.
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