Roy Roger's and Dave's New York Join Forces for Trans-Atlantic Workwear Collaboration
Classic workwear pieces in new washes and cuts, tees and crewnecks with archival branding and much more.
Roy Roger’s and Dave’s New York have more than a century of workwear experience between them, and they’re bringing that heritage and knowledge together on a new 25-piece apparel collection. Consisting of work pants constructed from denim or cotton, work jackets in a variety of colors from tobacco brown to tie-dye and various tees and crewnecks with archival graphics, the collection is a trans-Atlantic love letter to heritage, quality craftsmanship and the fertile nexus of workwear and street style.
Based in Italy, Roy Roger’s was founded in 1952, when Francesco Bacci and his wife Guiliana made a trip to New York City. Bacci was fascinated by all the denim offered in the Big Apple, and struck a deal with now-legendary denim purveyor Cone Mills Corp to supply him with fabric, launching his brand. Not long after, Dave’s New York swung its doors open: it began as a military surplus store in 1963, before beginning to offer workwear in the early ’70s. Both business are still owned and operated by their founding families today, ensuring that the collection’s offerings are imbued with a decidedly earned feeling of heritage. This feeling isn’t just metaphorical either, as the offerings seamlessly combine classic workwear style with modern-day streetwear flair classic denim, canvas and long cuts, plus cropped jackets with jacquard patterns, the aforementioned tie-dye and the graphic embellishments.
As any follower of Dave’s New York knows, the store — no matter how popular it may become in the fashion world for its if-you-know-you-know logo goods and ample selection of brands like Carhartt and Dickies — will always prioritize providing high-quality workwear above all else. This true-blue ethos makes the collaborative projects it does work on, like tees with 032c, custom shirts with Ben Davis and a screenprinting workshop with artist and tattooist Henbo Henning, rare and exceedingly special. “When we learned that Roy Roger’s was a third generation family business like us, and that they believe in the quality of their work like we believe in ours, it made it really easy for this collab to come to life,” says Adam Levy, the third-generation owner of Dave’s New York. Guido [Biondi, Roy Roger's creative director] and his team have really gone back to their roots with this collaboration and we are happy to contribute our perspective on timeless workwear classics. In our eyes we are not just building a product, but building a relationship with the family at Roy Roger’s.”
“We’ve had several collaborations with other brands. What is essential for us is a natural affinity with the partner,” adds Biondi. “Dave’s New York is an iconic workwear store in New York, and Roy Roger’s was born as a workwear brand. But this is not the only point in common between the two brands: in fact, we share the heritage and know-how in the sector, characteristics that distinguish our product. What emerges from this collaboration could be called ‘vintage of the future,’ a tradition that fits perfectly with the street and urban world of the city. Deciding to explore the American market, focusing on workwear designed with an authentic style, is a very important step for us.”
The Roy Roger’s x Dave’s New York collection was premiered at Pitti Uomo and will release late 2023/early 2024.
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