Carhartt WIP: SEDIMENTAL WORKS by ILL-STUDIO

Carhartt WIP marked the 50th anniversary of its Active Jacket on November 6, 2025. Working with ILL-STUDIO, they created a project called Sedimental Works, an installation at the Tate Modern in London, that shows how the jacket has meant different things to different people over the years — not just as clothing, but as something tied to work, identity, and culture.

The event has sound pieces, video elements, and live performances from artists including Abi Asisa, Klein, Wu-Lu, and Erika de Casier and it didn’t feel like a regular exhibition. All of these added to the atmosphere and helped show how the jacket has picked up emotional and cultural meaning over time, instead of being treated like an artifact from the past.

Carhartt WIP also released a small book with the same title, Sedimental Works. It includes texts by Chris Kraus, Lynne Tillman, Christelle Oyiri, and others, showing how a single item can slowly collect layers of meaning — almost like sediment building up — as it moves through different people’s lives.