A Collection of Us

Playing on our collective love of nostalgia, the word “archive” seems to have popped up quite a bit lately in a bid to perhaps look back in order to go forward.  Topshop launched their Archive Collection back in July and Jigsaw’s current autumn winter campaign pits nineties Jigsaw pieces with current ones, to emphasise the longevity of their wares.  For United Colors of Benetton, looking back at their archive is the first step in their strategy to get the brand back on track as they seek to define and pronounce their core values so that it once again has visibility in an increasingly crowded sphere.

Wearing United Colors of Benetton ‘Collection of Us’ 1960s sweater with Peter Pilotto ribbed knit coat, M.Y.O.B. knit trousers and Raf Simons x adidas boots

And so it is that Benetton once again asserts its ties with social campaigning.  As part of their Collection of Us campaign, that sees five women of varying ages sharing their personal stories, Benetton will be donating EUR2 million to its Women Empowerment Program to support United Nationa’s development goals for 2030.  In the first part of this campaign, the women wear pieces from a reissued archive knitwear collection, featuring designs that span from the beginnings of the Italian company in 1965 to the noughties.  It’s a celebration of both the exuberant physical colours that defined the aesthetics of the brand in its history and also of course of its ongoing commitment to issues of equality, unity and compassion.  From graphic inlaid knits inspired by the architect Tobia Scarpa to trompe l’oeil tie designs to eighties new wave triangles to rainbow stripes of the euphoric acid-fuelled nineties, it’s a collection that goes hand in hand with Benetton’s recent reveal of its headquarters in Treviso, where its history is exposed through a museum-esque display of archive pieces on mannequins and vitrines of designer sketches, ad campaigns and swatches.

Images of Benetton’s archive in Treviso, Italy from Wallpaper and Creative Review

One simple Google trawl yields not just those controversial Oliviero Toscani campaigns that feature zero product, but also the happy-go-lucky, colour-saturated images that also define Benetton’s visual identity.  As Benetton begin their rebranding journey, it will be interesting to see how their primary-hued, rainbow-fuelled past contributes to its future.