Through It All: Isaac Puerile on Champion’s Enduring Legacy With Independent Artists

In the pulsating heart of the Australian rap scene, Sydney’s Isaac Puerile has emerged as a self-taught artist and producer, a maverick crafting his own path with defiant originality. Upon its launch, his 2018 EP I Hate You Too became an instant classic. This genre-defying body of work incorporates elements of rap, pop and UK garage, converging into an unapologetic and raw soundtrack of life. For nearly a century, Champion has mirrored such trailblazing with its Reverse Weave Hoodie—the OG hoodie—which has been an emblem of innovation since its inception in 1938. This makes the brand’s partnership with the 26-year-old a seamless fusion of new-school audacity and enduring tenacity. Initially crafted as a warm-up garment for athletes, the Reverse Weave Hoodie quickly found favour among construction workers in chilly climates and later became a staple among early adopters of hip-hop culture in the 1970s and ’80s, cherished for its affordability and functionality. In the ’90s, the iconic hoodie became synonymous with hip-hop culture, worn and immortalised by influential groups such as Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, and Naughty by Nature. In the contemporary era, its cultural impact deepened through collaborations with giants like Nike, Supreme, Bape and the late...