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Meet the Designer Bridging Streetwear and Vodka
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Streetwear designer Anwar Carrots first became enamored with the process of fashion design one day while residing in his native New Jersey when he came home to witness one of his father’s friends creating his own shirt design. This moment of inspiration led to the creation of a lifestyle and streetwear blog named Arrogant Veggies developing a cult following ultimately leading to the creation of his own brand, Peas & Carrots, with friends Joshton Peas and Casey Veggies. Fast forward, Anwar Carrots is now one of the leading creatives in streetwear today heading his namesake label, Anwar Carrots.
The designer’s latest projects consists of a holiday collaboration with Grey Goose combining a streetwear sense of cool with the French vodka producer’s sleek and elegant touches. Including a bottle of Grey Goose, Martini Rossi Champagne, mixers, and a limited edition holiday sweatshirt courtesy of Carrots himself, this new collab makes the holiday bartender job a piece of cake. The Los Angeles-based designer took the time to sit down with CR to discuss his latest collaboration, street style culture, and exactly what his drink of choice is.
CR: How are you spending the holidays?
A: We’re keeping it real simple, my wife and friends actually stay on this side so we’ll be in Westlake. Probably chill with the in-laws. My mother is in Alabama and my dad is in Atlanta so I’m not going anywhere. We’ll spend time with the family and time in our home. We’ve just been working on the house so we’ll probably just spend time in the crib and time with our family and obviously sippin’ on that Goose!
CR: Is that your drink of choice this season? Grey Goose?
A: I mean other than water. Obviously I’m a herb guy, but when liquid capital calls for liquid capital! But you know, with the drink thing I’m really simple. Some vodka, pineapple juice and more pineapple than Goose. I like my shit sweet. I ease into my drink, I don’t like to just… yeah, I’m not that guy.
CR: Are you a lightweight?
A: I’m super lightweight. Herb? I can burn the house down. Drink? Man, I’ll be done. I’ll fall asleep and all that!
CR: What was the thought process for the design of your Carrots x Grey Goose sweatshirt?
A: The thought process was on some holiday sweater shit. Keeping it on my end with the branding simplistic and taking the whole connotation and perception of the word “ugly” out of “ugly Christmas sweater” for the holiday and just making a nice sweater to pair with the kit. We wanted to factor keeping my color branding and their color branding and making it one. Yet not too “over-brandy” to where it just looks like another promotional sweatshirt, but also keeping it Carrots. Their back-end shit is crazy, it’s damn near all fashion people running their brand and all that shit so, they know what they’re doing over there!
CR: Is there any particular way you want consumers to use the kit?
A: I want them to use any and every part of the kit. Mainly wear the sweatshirt cause even if you don’t drink liquor, someone can wear the sweatshirt. At any age.
CR: Was working with a liquor brand any different than working with a clothing or shoe brand, What was the process like?
A: On my end, it was no different. I was just handling the creative aspect. They honestly wanted me to do Carrots as much as possible. It was very simple and easy, I’m pretty easy to work with, I’m more of a listener than a speaker. I don’t like to do too much, not In terms of work but in terms of overdoing design. More so, keeping design on the surface where it’s digestible between all ages. You know, if a little two-year-old saw this shit and they’re like “oh, that’s cool” or someone grown who remembers the design and they’re like “oh man I remember back in the day.” You get to telling all types of stories from all sides, all ages. That’s why I always like to keep shit simple. I’m not here with the abstract, I’m not here to give you anything that doesn’t make sense to me. It’s all Carrots man, I’m just trying to keep it on service as much as possible.
CR: I feel like all of your campaigns and collections are cohesive, they all make sense…
A: Yeah! So how I do all my collections, everything matches each other throughout the whole year. So if you bought something in January and you buy something in December, it can still be paired with anything you bought in January.
CR: Wow, that sounds like a seamless process.
A: It’s coordination and to me it’s also considerate in a sense. Especially for those who may not have the bread to be buying all collections, all seasons. You can buy a tee from this season, with some shorts from last season so you can be in line with everyone who may have out-dripped you.
CR: Is it crazy thinking back to a time when blogging and street style wasn’t mainstream?
A: You know what’s funny, I been doing it since ’06. My blog is still up! I been doing Tumblr since ’09 if you even google my tumblr, I won best Tumblr in 2012? Some stupid shit like that I was apart of the viral world before viral was “viral”.
CR: What does street style mean to you?
A: Street style to me is, how you want the world to perceive you when you step out that door. If street style in bumwear to you with holes in your clothes, fuck it! That’s your expression, it’s art. Obviously songs have lyrics to them but art doesn’t, but if art had lyrics to them you would follow those lyrics. It’s interpretation. Interpretation is apart of perception.
CR: Has anything shifted in the creation of Carrots because of the pandemic?
A: Lowkey. It turnt up. I’m more turnt than before. I’ve had time! To really dissect this shit, figure out where I wanna sit in this shit, look at how I wanna move. And honestly I been moving how I been moving since I started and I don’t wanna change. If anything I wanna speed it up.
CR: Where do you see Carrots in five years?
A: Five years from now?
CR: Yup, 2025.
A: Man it’s coming so fast, I don’t even know how to predict five years from now. Like I said I like to keep things minuscule because that’s how you let things into your box. I mean, I’m in a box because of the industry im in but I got a big ass box. I can fit a lot shit in my box. Five years from now I’m going to be in the same shit, just elevated. My kids are gonna be bigger, brands gonna be bigger. Shit is just gonna be bigger. I just hope to have one hand in the farming industry and one in the weed industry. Other than that, I’m content with whatever God wants to give me in the next five years.
CR: Do you think covid-19 has impacted street style as a whole?
A: I would so yes. And this is going back to time. If you actually care about what culture or community you’re involved in, and you’re willing to take the time to learn who is this person?, why is this person standing next to this person?, why is this person wearing this shit if he owns that shit?, if you start asking yourself these questions like why did this start in Japan? And you take the time to do the research? It’ll definitely help. Especially if you’re a kid. I got into this shit when I was 15, I spent a lot of my computer class time looking up shit. It definitely helps if you research the things you’re trying to get into. Obviously streetwear, shit even going back to Grey Goose, if you care about drinks, you have enough time to learn how to make a cocktail, buy a cocktail book, make yourself a drink, have parties, see if people like the drink. Fuck around and end up being a bartender! Even if you don’t care to make money off of certain shit, maybe you learned a hobby!
The Anwar Carrots x Grey Goose sweater and limited-Edition Grey Goose Holiday Punch Kit will be available online through Cocktail Courier.
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createdAt:Wed, 25 Nov 2020 19:49:24 +0000
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section:Fashion