One moment changes everything.
A spark. A splatter. A chain of events set in motion.
Except here, effect precedes cause.
Time runs the other way.
In Carhartt WIP’s Fall/Winter 2026 campaign, an afternoon unfolds backwards, rewinding to the origin of the chaos. Past and present collapse into each other.
The ending is the beginning.
Directed by Alex Acy, the campaign film moves in reverse, sharp and deliberate, featuring a cast of unsuspecting subjects: three friends, a dog, a car, a couch, and a few cans of paint.
Small events accumulate in the wrong direction, some slow and stretched; others fast, almost blurred.
The paint becomes a throughline – thick violet streaks and splatters across canvas, fur, and upholstery. Stains that mark time, contrasting with the deep burgundy, green, and navy hues of the latest collection.
Alex Acy is a French-Canadian director and photographer based in Paris, working across music videos, narrative, and commercials. His visual language is hyperreal, with imagery that verges on the tangible. Acy was nominated for Best New Director at the 2025 UKMVAs.
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Contact
Federica De Carlo
fdecarlo@carhartt-wip.comAbout Carhartt Work In Progress
Established in 1994 by Edwin Faeh, Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP) develops its own collections based on original Carhartt workwear. The brand combines authentic adaptations of these robust American archetypes, while engaging with the subcultures that have embraced it. This, in turn, has seen Carhartt WIP place itself in a new context and bring forth its own classics.
Carhartt WIP opened its first store in London in 1997 and today operates over 80 brick and mortar locations worldwide. It also has its own skate team and music department, while supporting an array of artists and releasing various in-house publications. Since 2010, Carhartt WIP has worked with a number of like-minded collaborators, including A.P.C., Converse, Fragment Design, Junya Watanabe, Nike, Underground Resistance, and Motown.
Credits
Directed by Alex Acy
Photographer: Craig Gareth Watkins
Dop: Shane Bagwell
Models: Boubacar Traore, Manon Abbaz, Tai Tang
Stylist: Silvia Vinci
Ass Stylist: Alison Papi
Casting Director: Marie Levy
Make-up Artist: Ana Gadelia
Make-up Assistant: Khatia Jojua