Workwear stalwart Dickies teamed with award-winning photographer, art director and filmmaker Estevan Oriol for a collection that reflects the grit and glamour of the Los Angeles he captures in his work.
Available now on Dickies’ website, the collection combines classic workwear styles with Oriol’s “signature urban flair.” Key denim items include relaxed utility jeans with Oriol’s iconic “LA Fingers” photo screen printed on the front and an aperture setting graphic on the back, and indigo blue overalls with his catchphrase “Laugh Now Cry Never” screen printed on the back.
Other items in the 12-piece collection span Dickes’ Original 874 Twill work pants and work shirts, T-shirts, long-sleeve tees and pullover hoodies. An unlined Eisenhower jacket depicts Oriol’s “El Triste,” a puppet symbolizing the clown, an icon of Mexican-American street culture. The collection retails for $80-$150.
“Dickies has always been a trusted staple for workers and the artistic communities that have been traditionally overlooked by the fashion world,” Oriol said. “Designing this collection was a labor of love because we’re recognizing the cultural impact of the outsiders, the makers and all the people who know what it means to ride low and slow.”
The collaboration is another example of how Dickies’ is honoring the industries and subcultures that help put the brand on the map for the past century. The heritage brand recently bowed a docuseries with Vice Media Group called “Made to Last” that examines the history and meaning of “American grit, culture and identity.” Directed by Sarah Brennan Kolb, the film explores these topics through the eyes of Tanner Cude, a modern rancher; Lizz Muñoz, a third-generation Chicana mechanic; and Johnny Brasley, co-founder of Parisite, a skate park created by skaters for skaters.
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The documentary is part of a year-long anniversary campaign that kicked off with the launch of The 100th Collection, a range of heritage items including double knee denim overalls with an apron for extra storage and 100 percent cotton denim chore jackets and jeans. Dickies will launch the brand’s first-ever digital maker marketplace in November, giving consumers access to a curated selection of its’ signature products, reworked and reimagined by newly established creatives. The brand will also release a special-edition book pairing archival imagery with hand-painted illustrations by artist Lucas Beaufort.
“From working with the biggest names in ’90s hip-hop and capturing pivotal moments in the city’s history, we were draw to Estevan’s hustle and his love for Los Angeles which helped him forge a path all his own while staying true to his roots,” said Sarah Crocket, Dickies global chief marketing officer. “We’re honored to have been able to immortalize in this collection Estevan’s deep ties to Chicano lowriding and the real moments he’s captured while telling the story of the City of Angels over the last 25 years.”
In support of the partnership with Oriol, the VF-owned brand released never-before-seen photo and video content by the artists featuring iconic Dickies pieces across its website and social media footprint. It also hosted a private event in Los Angeles to fete the launch.