Press Releases and Statements

JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC X UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON

JCC x UCB is the first capsule designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac for United Colors of Benetton.

“… What peculiar times these are! We are living in an era which requires a redefinition of human politics. Precisely for this reason, with my first capsule for United Colors of Benetton I wanted to talk about love, unity, family. About values shared by a brand like Benetton and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s style. After all, this is the first time that the artist Castelbajac meets the designer Jean-Charles in the making of a Benetton collection. It is a ground-breaking capsule for me. And it is an ode to love: it is a collection that counts as a kind of renaissance, which wants to give hope. I’ve called it ‘In Love We Trust’, paraphrasing the national motto of the United States, ‘In God We Trust’. I love to play with words and with fashion, because fashion is the expression of a thousand words.

“It is no coincidence that as a narrative metaphor I chose the utopia of America — that of the late 1960s, the Berkley riots, the Summer of Love. At end of the ‘60s, everything seemed possible there. I was 17 and I was dreaming of America. It was a moment when those of us in my generation were true believers. You could talk about universality, of a world completely open to different cultures. Not everything went as we hoped, it’s true, but it was certainly a fertile era in which seeds were planted that blossomed years later. That's why I wanted to redesign a design icon like the American flag and include it in the collection, changing also its color chart and using pastel shades, a classic Benetton touch from the brand’s early days. I then named this collection 'United States of Love’.

“The Benetton brand is founded on basics, so I wanted to create a collection of staple pieces to wear every day. Among my favourites is a sweater with the slogan LOVE, made with an extraordinary knitting technique; a trench coat — a great wardrobe classic — in shades of beige, featuring small coloured details that are part of my signature style; a camouflage sweater which I created with both different and tone-on-tone colours. And then there are the shirts, the printed denim, rubberised fabric windbreakers and a delightful "double poncho" for children walking together in the rain. Basically, I have revisited and revolutionised all the canons of classic imagery, from chic outerwear and camouflage all the way to the American flag. It is a collection with affordable prices, great quality and a design that speaks of love.

“This capsule is dedicated to today's families — to all of them, without exception. My idea is that of a totally modern, absolutely contemporary family. Made up of souls who choose to be together, who want to create a tribe. And the bond that unites them can also be the way they dress. ‘Family’ for me today means participating in a collective, emotive and spiritual group.”

In Love We Trust,
JCdC

CREDITS:
Photographer: Osma Harvilahti
Stylist: Imruh Asha