Michael Lau's "STREETMAXX" & "WORKMAXX" from Carhartt WIP!

Carhartt is an American brand founded in 1889 that pioneered workwear in the USA, an aesthetic that — 100 years later — their Carhartt Work In Progress (Carhartt WIP) division would adapt and modify into fashion for a streetwear audience. Exploring these two sides of the long-standing company, Hong Kong-based toy designer Michael Lau has revisited his "Gardener: Maxx" character in two versions: the previously teased "STREETMAXX", the rebellious 16-year-old skateboarder, and "WORKMAXX", the 33-year-old rendition of the same design. This evolution of the youthful 'play' character into the more mature 'work' version will be displayed as part of this year's Hong Kong Art Basel festivities as the CARH-ART-T WORK IN EXHIBITION – PLAYWORK exhibition at I.T. Hysan One (G / F, 1 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong). Both limited, rumored to be 200 pieces per design, these will be available for $360 and $410 apiece in the near future from HBX.

[Images and information courtesy of Hypebeast.]