Corteiz Clothing: The Backstory
CRTZ Clothing, also known as Corteiz is a West-London based brand founded by British-Nigerian university student Clint in his bedroom in 2017. This brand has gained popularity since its founding and it’s well-known for its tight-knit community and counter-culture. Drawing inspiration from the dynamic streets of New York City, CRTZ embarked on a mission to craft clothing that narrates stories, embodies uniqueness, and challenges established norms and has grown rapidly since its humble beginnings.
When founded in 2017, Clint sold CRTZ Clothing from the boot of his car and had his friends model items for his Instagram page. The simple unique logo coupled with the high quality garments made the brand appealing and due to Clint’s connections through Apex (a collective of creative teens who became well-known for their individual sense of style) CRTZ began to build traction and was in front of more and more eyes.
CRTZ spread solely through word of mouth and Instagram but getting your hands on genuine CRTZ merch was extremely difficult. The CRTZ community became a niche audience that was very exclusive: their Instagram page was private, the website was password-protected and drops were rare and sold out quickly.
Eventually, tastemakers got a hold of the brand which resulted in collaborations with groups such as Motherlan, Places + Faces and streetwear icons throughout the UK. Very soon one would spot celebrities like Stormzy, Jorja Smith and Dave rocking the CRTZ brand – not because they were paid – they simply supported the brand. However, the person who really helped catapult CRTZ was UK RAPPER Central Cee, who wore the streetwear brand in the music video of his breakout-single ‘’Day in the Life’’ and continued to rep CRTZ as his career blew up.
One of the biggest moments for the brand was when fashion mogul Virgil Abloh wore a pair of CRTZ socks to the MET Gala, introducing it to the American audience at one of the world’s most-watched events.
If that wasn’t enough, in January 2022 CRTZ announced they would be dropping 50 Bolo jackets and customers could get one in exchange for their own Northface, Nocta or Supreme puffer jackets. The response was immense and resulted in CRTZ donating £16, 000 worth of jackets to the homeless and news articles from outlets like Complex and Vogue Business covered the spectacle due to the virality of the event in the UK.
In March this year, Clint’s CRTZ collaborated with the wolrds biggest sportswear company for the Corteiz x Nike Air max 95. The Air Max is a special shoe in the hearts of British street culture, making this collab more than appropriate. The shoe dropped March 10, 202 exclusively online via the Corteiz site.
It is clear that CRTZ Clothing is not slowing down anytime soon as it shines as a paradigm of creative ingenuity fused with style. It was founded with the intent of shattering the confines of conventional fashion and will continue to be a formidable presence in the industry.
CRTZ Clothing products include hoodies, t-shirts, tracksuits, and Corteiz Cargos and you can purchase them all right here on Friends & Family Gallery.