One Block Down explores what sits at the center of a subcultural movement. Looking to the past, it examines the roots: what gave them life, sustained them, and later allowed them to evolve. It is that which remains ever-present throughout the movement's journey that is immortalized.
For its latest project, One Block Down is collaborating with RefrigiWear – an institution in the world of workwear that hails from Manhattan, New York. One Block Down celebrates the American label's legacy and what that means more than 60 years on.
Established in 1954, RefrigiWear was founded to serve workers in the industrial refrigerator business. The brand's mission was to create tough outerwear suited to hostile conditions. Through the founders' firsthand experiences and the support of newly created DuPont™, RefrigiWear became known for its windproof, water-repellent, and anti-tear gear. The brand’s ability to offer a solution to sub-zero temperatures was cemented in 1965 when a skeptical journalist tested one of the Iron-Tuff® suits in a -60°F quick-freeze room, where he sat comfortably for an hour.
At the end of the ‘90s, RefrigiWear made its way to Europe, gaining popularity in Italy in particular, where it has been officially distributed since 2004. As workwear found its place in street culture, so did RefrigiWear. Slowly, it became the uniform of an entirely different audience.
