EXCLUSIVE: Dickies reshapes modern workwear style with brand relaunch

Dickies Philippines still stays true to its heritage of workwear and work-inspired style

Staying under the radar as a department store staple for the past decades, Dickies has been forwarding casual workwear style as its core design philosophy. Today, the American apparel company plans to go all out for its brand relaunch with an upcoming flagship store opening at Robinson’s Place Manila.

“Since its conception in 1921, Dickies has provided authentic and durable workwear for makers across the world,” Mark Miranda, Dickies Philippines director of sales, says exclusively to Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “This year the brand commits to bringing its heritage and independent makers spirit back by driving the culture of making and supporting independent makers to create with their passion, pride, and creativity.”

To celebrate the relaunch, Dickies Philippines produced an editorial featuring key pieces from their spring-summer 2021 collection, as photographed by Ryle Uy and produced by Monday Off creative agency.

The brand’s new fashion story expresses the aspect of living the city life in constant motion modeled by creatives @bryanchaiseng and @andycolaplease. We also caught up with Mark Miranda as he reintroduces the brand to modern Filipino style savants.

What type of Filipino consumer is Dickies targeting today with the new branding?

Dickies aims to work with select creatives and makers that resonate with these brand values. The iconic logo seen on the backs of hardworking and impactful makers across history will now be seen on a new generation of makers who carry the same Independent Makers spirit that has brought Dickies to life in 1922. We recently did a series with rapper and entrepreneur Omar Baliw on and we plan to do the same with Filipino creatives who are making an impact in their fields.

With the latest collection, what particular styles or items are the brand’s must-haves for the season?

Dickies’ iconic range of workwear and work-inspired styles are the definitely the brand’s must-haves from the spring-summer collection, most especially the following: reversible bucket hat, coach jacket, poplin cargo pant, messenger bag, Oxford graphic logo coach jacket, twill open hem pants, slip-ons, twill long-sleeved shirt, hem cargo pants, and brand logo badge cargo shorts.

Reversible bucket hat, coach jacket, poplin cargo pant, and messenger bag

Twill long-sleeved shirt and hem cargo pants

Given the pandemic situation reshaping people’s tastes for fashion, do you think workwear–with its sturdy and multifunctional design approach–will be a go-to style choice?

Definitely. Dickies doesn’t just outfit workers with quality apparel, but also aims at driving the culture of making, and support independent makers to create and make with their passion, pride, and creativity. Making is no longer only about labor, work, mechanics; to Dickies, making has evolved to a way to build one’s independent voice in a hyper connected world of increasing diversity.

Shop the collection from Dickies’ official Lazada store. Follow Dickies on socials for more updates.

This article first appeared in Manila Bulletin.