Willie Norris and Outlier to Create Co-branded Capsule Series
For Willie Norris’ 33rd birthday dinner last June, the Outlier design director wore a black lab-style coat with a small white tag at the back that read: “Willie Norris for Outlier.”
Avid collectors of her work, who regularly congregate on social platforms such as Reddit and Discord to discuss all things having to do with the brand, wouldn’t have recognized it, since it was a work in progress.
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But the secret is now out. Norris and the performance-driven streetwear brand have partnered on a new creative project, rolling out six co-branded capsule collections that will debut biannually through 2025.
“I noticed myself increasingly referring to something as a ‘Willie piece’ in design meetings,” Norris said. “Creating a distinct container within Outlier to house and present these pieces felt like a natural next step. It feels right and timely to start signing my garments with a label that has my name on it.”
Keeping with Outlier’s direct-to-consumer strategy, the Willie Norris for Outlier capsule collections will drop in tandem with the brand’s main line and be available exclusively through its e-commerce channel. The first, for summer 2023, will go live July 18, and consists of eight workwear-inspired essentials with prices ranging from $125 for a paracord belt to $1,200 for an elongated blazer in Outlier’s signature Injex, a polyester blend fabric also used for a pair of high-waisted pants with zippered expansion pockets.
Introducing new fabrics to Outlier’s arsenal, the summer collection also uses Acrsipcotton produced by Italian shirt company Albini, and Hempmarine, a water-resistant cotton and polyester blend. Design details, or “Willie Specials” as her fans call them, include covered buttons, shoulder pads and red-stitching throughout.
Norris, who served as the fit model, looked to her own wardrobe for inspiration, and views the project as a way to further promote her pro-queer, gender-fluid aesthetic in the streetwear space. “This isn’t menswear, this isn’t womenswear. This is what Willie wears,” the trans-feminine designer said.
“I am hoping to bring a new set of eyes to Outlier. I also aim to introduce existing clients to a different lens with which to view the brand.”
Outlier’s cofounders Tyler Clemens and Abe Burmeister are in full support of her vision. “Willie presents a precise, studied offering of what Outlier is and how she sees it,” said Clemens.
The next Willie Norris for Outlier capsule for winter 2024 will drop later this year and consist of eight new pieces that build on the initial offering.
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