C.P. Company's 50th Anniversary
Beth Fraser on Thu, Jan 28, 21
CP Company 50th Anniversary
This year marks the CP Company 50th anniversary. For the past five decades, C.P. Company has generated an almost cult-like following since 1971 when Massimo Osti pioneered one of the most exclusive and influential creative brands in the history of sportswear. It's no wonder he's recognised as the "godfather of urban sportswear". Combining military styling, exceptional fabrication and innovation, C.P. has led the way in the sportswear industry and strikes the perfect balance between craftsmanship and textile technology.
CP is a brand for the expressive individual, through its carefully crafted goggle jackets, logo t-shirts and pioneering zip up sweatshirts. The brand continues to deliver standout pieces season after season, focusing on the goggle jacket and famous CP lens which appears on the arm of many of their quality products. The branded icons are instantly recognisable and worn as a badge of honour for most.
Since its foundation in 1971, a mixture of revolutionary garment dying techniques and extensive microfleece fabric research goes into each individual garment. As a result, producing a hybridisation that combines utility styling; functionality inspired by technology, and a twist on your average sportswear pieces. Today, these same values and elements continue to be integral to the brand.
CP Company Garment Dyeing
Massimo Osti and his collaborators pioneered the process of Garment Dying in the early 70s. Originally, the conventional method of garment manufacturing was to use pre-dyed fabrics. However, CP Company crafted their garments from white or raw un-coloured fabric and then dyed them at the final step in the manufacturing process. The end result? An enhancement of the material characteristics of the fabric and a chromatic depth that would be unachievable using conventional methods.
CP's Intense Fabric Research
Drawing on research into the protective anti-gas hoods used by the army, Osti created the now-iconic cp goggle jacket. With his artistic vision, they moved the lenses from the collar to the hood to adopt the multifunctionality of the Swiss field jackets. This innovative design allowed the wearer to perform numerous duties while in the field, merging style and function.
The lens on the cuff was used in the army to allow soldiers to view their watch, ultimately creating a jacket that can be worn for almost any occasion, whilst providing protection from the elements and, ultimately, being functional enough to perform a variety of tasks. Since then, we have seen many variations of the famous goggle jacket, however, the concept and design remain paramount.
If you have yet to invest in a cp product, now is the time to do it. But don't take our word for it, read our brand review for CP Company in full here.
The Future of CP Company
After a half-century since its inception, "C.P. Company are ready to celebrate the origins of sportswear as we know it, through an intense program of authentic collaborations, community initiatives and respectful homages to five decades of garment innovation."
The brand has recently launched a separate website to commemorate their anniversary, building suspense around what their next collaboration will be. If the preview of their SS21 collection is anything to go by, it looks like we will be seeing a lot of vintage looks re-imagined for their celebratory lookbook.
Our prediction? We think sustainability will become a major focus of the CP Company brand, and their collaborations will reflect environment-friendly and natural ideals.
