If you’re familiar with Hypebeast, Central Cee or the UK streetwear scene, you most likely have come across Corteiz‘ Alcatraz logo, their “C” star logo or the brand’s “Corteiz rules the world” slogan in recent times. And even though the literal interpreation of the brand’s supremely confident claim is up for discussion, there’s no denying that the DIY-aesthetics brand from London by Clint definitely moves people around the globe right now. But, literally:
The brand’s recent high-profile collaboration, the Corteiz x Nike Air Max 95 ‘Aegan Storm’, had thousands of people running through Paris’ busy streets right after Clint had announced the pop-up’s coordinates via a Paris bus (evoking memories of countless New York sneakerheads rushing to a local Bodega just one month earlier for Corteiz’ precedessing Air Max 95 ‘Pink Beam’):
Not only did both events prove that the brand’s popularity exceeds its hometown of London – Clint and his crew already demonstrated that in summer 2022, when they took over the streets of Paris for the first time with dozens of people chasing their car when they handed out limited Corteiz tees: The New York franzy also proved that Corteiz’ buzz reaches far beyond Europe.
The buzzworthy Air Max 95 collabs, not for the first time, had Instagram comment sections praising Clint’s talent for the marketing tactics he has showcased since the label’s founding in 2017. And even though street giveaways and spontaneous online drops have been well-established before Corteiz did them, the brand undeniably brings something new to the table. In comes “Da Great Bolo Exchange”:
When Clint and his team released Corteiz’s highly-anticipated ‘Bolo’ puffer jackets, the first 50 jackets were strictly limited, but not via a ‘first come, first serve’ drop: Unprecedented in street wear, the Corteiz jackets could only be traded against premium puffers by the likes of Moncler, The North Face, Arc’teryx, Stone Island and Supreme. All 50 jackets were traded away immediately.
Aside from automatically establishing his label’s apparel as equally valuable as the one from highly-established fashion powerhouses, Clint donated the 50 premium jackets worth 16.000 pounds to a homeless shelter in London. “Giving back to the city”? In the truest sense of the word.
So even though Corteiz didn’t reinvent streetwear, the brand adds a fresh take to it: Not only by helping others, but by simultaneously satisfying the hunger for real-life excitement and thereby creating a momentum. Corteiz might, as indicated by its ever-present motto, not literally rule the world. But the brand’s unorthodox approach to marketing definitely makes the streetwear world more interesting right now.
