INTERVIEW: CARRIER GOODS
It’s common these days for for streetwear-clad kids to pull out a GORE-TEX shell or a sherpa fleece when the chillier months set in. Whether an outdoorsy type or not, virtually anyone’s day will go better when kept toasty in proper high-performance apparel. In keeping with this, Carrier Goods’ apparel fuses street- and outerwear styles. Founded in 2020 by keen outdoor enthusiasts, designers, and long-time mates Matt Braun and Georgia Smith, the label breaks down traditional constructs by reinterpreting vintage skiwear and top-notch techwear with fresh, contemporary flair in collections made for both big-city life and nature getaways.
We caught up with the duo to find out more about their journeys and what Carrier Goods stands for /
Thank you both for taking the time to chat. I’d be curious to hear a little bit about yourselves and backgrounds. How did you both meet, and how did the idea for Carrier Goods come about and take shape?
Matt Braun: We met eight years ago whilst working together at a UK high street fashion label where I was head of design and Georgia was senior designer.
Georgia Smith: Besides getting to know each other personally and professionally, I guess we were bonding through our outdoor trips. Matt has a dog that we walked at lunch time and during those moments we’d catch up on each other’s weekend or share the inspos we’d find on Instagrams such as Ghillie Kettle, the vintage technical gear we’d find online, etc.
MB: Then as the world went into lockdown, we both re-considered our positions and took the opportunity to focus on projects we had a connection with, that were closer to our hearts. That’s about when we started brainstorming Carrier Goods—a brand we could be passionate about. This affinity we share for the outdoors combined with our design and technical knowledge as well as our industry connections made through the years sort of brought everything together organically. For a good ten years we’ve been in touch with a factory in China that produces some of the best outerwear we’ve seen, and so we reached out to them to pitch the idea of starting something based on something we love and experienced for quite some time now. Right away they were on board and basically funded us.
GS: Not only did we already have an established working relationship with them, but I think the fact that we held designer positions in our past careers and had lots of experience getting into the nitty-gritty of garment making definitely worked in our favour.
Do you feel like something is missing from the outerwear industry and if so, how do you fill that gap with Carrier Goods?
MB: There’s definitely a gap in the market for a brand that can accommodate most people and budgets. It’s almost like there’s main entry-level outdoor gear available to the consumer, but then there’s a huge jump in terms of price point for directional outdoor brands. A protective shell can cost you around £600, and if you can’t afford it you can go to a Mountain Warehouse to buy something relatively cheap. There isn’t much of a middle ground option between the two.
GS: We felt there was a bit of a monopoly on the outdoors. Essentially we wanted to create an accessible, technical brand with streetwear elements such as oversized, interesting shapes and a more trend-led colour palette so as to offer truly versatile pieces, ones that could be worn either to the pub or on a getaway weekend.
MB: We want our brothers who are not in the industry to be buying what we make, but we also want some directional kids sitting in Soho wearing it.
What would be some core pieces of the brand? Can you talk us through their key functional elements?
MB: The zip-up fleeces and matching joggers have become a bit of a staple. These fleece sets are perfect for keeping you warm in your tent or down the street. The fit of the top is quite boxy, a little bit shorter and oversized, and has a double ended centre front zip. It’s a bit more cutting-edge in terms of fashionability. Then the water-repellent padded jacket and pants have also become key items for our customers. We wanted to develop a lightweight but super cosy set for winter hiking. Certain features like the zip cuffs of the padded pants are adopted for warmth and functionality.
GS: Some other items that we’re really loving are the climbing shorts and pants made from a four-way stretch fabric. They’re really durable and you can do all the movements that you need to do whilst climbing. We’ve also added knee panels for a little bit more ergonomic motion, and the ankles have an elastic binding around them so that they don’t get in the way. They also have a couple zip pockets throughout to secure your keys and other miscellany.
What was AW22 about? Did you get to introduce new pieces?
GS: There are new, much-anticipated statement pieces like an Alpine jacket inspired by vintage 90’s ski jackets. In terms of direction, since we’re an outdoor brand, the seasonal changes are kind of based around the colour palette, which is usually informed by the trips we’ve been on or interested in. This collection was inspired by my trip to Switzerland. For example, we’ve individually ice-dyed puffer jackets and matching padded blankets that can do as picnic blankets or blankets to keep you warm around the campfire. We make the pieces we feel we need in our lives but can’t really can’t our hands on, or draw inspiration from vintage stuff we own and like that could be bettered or simply made more current.
MB: Coming from a corporate background, it was always very hard to bring about changes whereas now we have the freedom to be nimble—it’s only us two. We started the brand with key staples, and now we’ve got a bit of traction with the brand to introduce additional progressive shapes to our roster. We’ll be continuing on this journey by bringing through form and function to the forefront, and by exploring new finishing techniques on functional fabrics whilst keeping their technicality intact.
