THE FIDEL’S X CARROTS DROP WINS EARLY 2023
THE FIDEL’S X CARROTS DROP WINS EARLY 2023 Fidel’s x Carrots is proving to be the hottest cannabis industry clothing drop of Q1. As we’ve covered many times here at L.A. Weekly, Shant “Fidel” Damirdjian is one of the local faces shining during these dark times in the cannabis industry. He had a wild 2022 with his…
THE FIDEL’S X CARROTS DROP WINS EARLY 2023
Fidel’s x Carrots is proving to be the hottest cannabis industry clothing drop of Q1.
As we’ve covered many times here at L.A. Weekly, Shant “Fidel” Damirdjian is one of the local faces shining during these dark times in the cannabis industry. He had a wild 2022 with his victory over some of the best cultivators in the world at Transbay Challenge IV — the Hash Hole exploded to the most famed ‘preroll” in California if you’re even comfortable calling it that, and he opened up his own cultivation spot in the desert without the help of the corporate oppressor. A great year for anyone in cannabis.
Topping 2022
![The Fidel’s x Carrots Drop Wins Early 2023 45 CARROTS PRODUCT 07](https://www.laweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CARROTS-PRODUCT-07.jpg)
So how does he top it? He comes out of the gates early in 2023 with a fantastic collaboration with Anwar Carrots. Carrots got into the fashion game in 2007; in 2015, he’d launch the Carrots by Anwar line. Vibrant oranges among other colors with stylized carrots and rabbits are par for the course with the popular menswear line.
The collaboration with Fidel’s started just over a year and a half ago.
“Anwar blessed us with complete creative control the entire project,” Damirdjian told L.A. Weekly. “Dabber Dan and I, my right-hand man, designed every bit of the box. Even the bags the clothing was in. Even the cut and sew on the hoodies.”
They would eventually settle on a 50/50 cotton and bamboo blend made in Los Angeles and find that bright orange they were looking for, after some trial and error over the last 18 months.
The Box
![The Fidel’s x Carrots Drop Wins Early 2023 46 CARROTS PRODUCT 24](https://www.laweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CARROTS-PRODUCT-24.jpg)
Each box in the limited edition of 500 includes the hoodies and sweatpants set made, screen printed and packaged in LA. There also is a Fidel’s x Carrots T-shirt, headwear, four Croc Jibbets, a commemorative 3D printed carrot with a hash hole, and a half ounce of Fidel’s popular weed.
It’s very fair to argue the cannabis aspects of the box are easily worth more than half its $600 price tag.
Where Fashion Meets Weed
After the entertainment industry, many would argue cannabis and fashion is where Los Angeles has some of its biggest global influence. We asked Damirdjian his take on that sentiment.
“100% it’s something you don’t see done often; if it has, it didn’t catch my attention and I apologize,” Damirdjian replied. “But I feel like fashion and cannabis have so much to do with one another. They are different audiences within the same audience. It’s a great thing to work with another cannabis company and within our community, but to branch out of it to get the attention of people in the clothing industry, it’s amazing.
![The Fidel’s x Carrots Drop Wins Early 2023 47 CARROTS PRODUCT 36](https://www.laweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CARROTS-PRODUCT-36.jpg)
Damirdjian argues it triggers so much more love crossing his audience and Anwar’s audience he’s built over the years. He appreciates how wowed people from both sides of the fence have been after months of effort trying to get it right to their vision.
Damirdjian is excited about what’s next; don’t expect to see these boxes again.
“This is like one and done. I’m trying to touch as many people that follow my following, Anwar’s following with this,” Damirdjian said. “This cost $600 for the box; it’s not something that everyone can afford. But the true collector is getting so much in the box. I’m not just taking money from the consumer, I’m giving so much more.”
Again, a lot of it comes back to being a unique spirit in a crowded space for Damirdjian.
He knows everyone’s trying to do something different. He considers the Carrots collaboration a sought-after project for anyone, and when he got the chance, he was not letting it slip through his fingers.
“It took so much time, finances and we did it with so much cadence, but it opened up a lot of doors for me now. I can already see it this early on. I can’t wait till more people consume it,” Damirdjian said,