Stout clobber? Guinness tie-up features £1,295 ‘pub carpet jumper’ | Diageo
You too can look like a pub rug – and for the bargain price of £1,295. Perhaps an option for anyone heading out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this week, this sartorial elegance is the aesthetic love child of the partnership between Guinness and luxury clothing brand JW Anderson.
The merger, which launched earlier this month, allows fashionistas to get their hands on a range of Guinness apparel, capitalizing on the ongoing metamorphosis of the “black stuff” from trendy bars to social media status symbol.
The 17-piece range includes everything from elastic shorts that look like beer towels (£440) to £850 Irish wool jumpers featuring the Irish brand’s famous harp logo against a cloudy creme that nods gently over a well-poured pint glass.
It stars actor Joe Alwyn and rapper Little Simz and “draws on vintage brewery uniforms, Irish pub interiors and archival graphics, transforming them into denim workwear, twisted jeans, terry sets and knitwear”.
The most expensive item is a unisex V-neck jumper that uses textured Jacquard stitching to “recreate the feel of pub rugs”, priced at £1,295.
The partnership further strengthens the branding overhaul of Guinness, which is owned by global drinks producer Diageo, transforming its image from a beer to a lifestyle brand.
Backed by Diageo’s £2.7bn marketing war chest, Guinness has shed its “old man” reputation and become a stalwart of pub culture for Gen Z, despite the group’s more reserved approach to alcohol.
Growing custom from young people and women has helped Guinness maintain its top spot as the country’s best-selling beer, increasing its market share in pubs to 17.5% by 2025, attracting more than 2 million pints every day.
The rising tide of Guinness seems to have blown all boats; fans are branching out to the other “nitro” stock – so named because of the nitrogenation process pioneered by Guinness, which gives the drink a smooth mouthfeel and creamy consistency.
Sales of rival nitros such as Anspach & Hobday’s London Black and Titanic Brewery’s True Stout have soared, outpacing their own lager and ale brands.
Guinness’ Irish parent, Murphy’s, has reported a more than 1,000% increase in sales volume in pubs this weekend, thanks to the UK’s unquenchable thirst for nitro stout.
But only Guinness can boast a luxury fashion clothing collection, which includes a £200 T-shirt reflecting vintage Guinness bottle caps.
“This collaboration with JW Anderson is truly special and we believe it will resonate deeply with our global community,” said Stephen O’Kelly, Guinness’ global brand director.
