Corteiz: The Guerilla Streetwear Brand That Took Over London

In recent years, it has become rarer to see hordes of shoppers mobbing city streets to buy a limited edition drop from any streetwear label. Many streetwear brands have followed the same playbook - design a seasonal collection, schedule an online release date, and continue selling items via stockists or other retail partners. However, there are brands like Corteiz that have employed unconventional guerilla marketing tactics to capture hype and allure unseen within streetwear in some time.

Founded in 2017 by Clint Ogbenna, a British-Nigerian entrepreneur, Corteiz RTW (Rules The World) has become one of the most popular streetwear brands to come out of London since Palace. Within the past five years, the brand's logo of Alcatraz Island has blown up and is now spotted everywhere. The brand's garments have been frequently sighted on UK rap stars such as Central Cee, slowthai, Stormzy, and Dave.

Corteiz has gained recognition for its garments among UK rap stars including Central Cee, slowthai, Stormzy, and Dave. In addition, some of the biggest celebrities have given their seal of approval to the brand. Recently, Drake was seen sporting a leather jacket that the brand released this winter, and Pharrell invited the brand's founder, Clint, to a private Friendsgiving dinner held at Selfridges last fall.

Surprisingly, Corteiz's social media pages were originally private - for a while, new customers could only learn about the brand's latest releases if their "follow" requests were accepted by Clint. The brand basically grew off just supporters being in the know.

Last month, Corteiz unveiled its biggest move yet by revealing an upcoming partnership with Nike that includes a pair of Air Max 95s arrived in March. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for the brand and further solidifies its status as a leading streetwear brand.

Currently we got the pink available here and the sequioa one here.

The upcoming Aegean Storm will be available in April 2023.

While many successful streetwear labels became infamous for sudden drops with quick sell-out times, Corteiz's approach to releasing hyped garments was distinctively different. Streetwear brands usually carve out a specific day of the week or time for their drops. Instead, Corteiz moves spontaneously. Their drops are cryptically revealed, times are unveiled randomly, and the only way to access the drop is by entering a password.

Corteiz's logo represents how living in society feels like a prison, and the brand is about "escaping from the societal restraints that we've grown up with to pursue what you really want to do." The brand's offerings mostly consist of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, beanies, cargo pants, cargo shorts, and socks with their logos. Their prices range from £12 for a pair of socks and up to £300 for their puffer "Bolo" jackets.

As Corteiz continues to grow and gain popularity, it will be interesting to see how the brand's marketing tactics and philosophy evolve. It is clear that the brand has a loyal following that appreciates its unique approach to releasing hyped garments. The partnership with Nike is an exciting milestone for the brand and a sign of things to come. Corteiz is a brand that is definitely worth keeping an eye on in the world of streetwear.