Culture
C.P. COMPANY’S RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT UNIT
22 June 2023To align with our debut partnership with C.P. Company, we took a trip to the label’s Research and Development unit to spotlight its unwavering approach to innovation.
The formative years of C.P. Company set the tone for what the label represents today. Massimo Osti’s outsider perspective meant the brand held a relentless curiosity of “what if?”, exploring the unknown and transforming the available, the historical and the functional into something entirely new. At the core of this was the forensic approach Massimo took to design, utilising techniques acquired through his graphic design origins to catalyse change in the landscape of garments and how they function. At the core of this was research, with Massimo constantly immersing himself into different aspects of design, garments and history to malleably shape the future of functional apparel.
It's a mantra that represents the beating heart of C.P. Company to this very day, with the brand continuously pushing the boundaries of materials, garments and functionality season after season, led by the vision of Lead Designer and industry pioneer, Paul Harvey. To mark the launch of our inaugural collaboration with the brand, dubbed “Adapt”, we took a trip to C.P. Company’s research and development unit to witness the cogs of innovation moving first hand.
The unit, which is located in the breathtakingly scenic region of Northeast Italy, represents a hub of design progressiveness and connectivity, with staff moving seamlessly from room to room and bouncing ideas and thoughts off of one and other. We start off by spending some time in the design room, where we witness C.P. Company’s team of creatives up close — sketching, pattern cutting, examining archival pieces for inspiration. It’s there we speak with Jeffrey, one of the brand’s designers who recently relocated from the UK, who tells us of the joy of working for a company he has so long been a fan of.
We then move onto the prototype room, where designers are working away on sewing machines to construct and add detail to prototypical garments. Adjacent to this is a room that’s representative of the core of C.P. Company, fabrics, filled with a library of materials and swatches that showcase this deep-rooted connection. It’s in here you really get a feel for the importance these materials and their treatments play for the company, from a plethora of cutting-edge materials forming the label’s library, to swatches dyed various colours that reflect the brand’s dedication to exploring material possibilities. It’s unsurprising, really, as we move around the unit and witness the enthusiasm of C.P. Company’s staff up close, that the outward facing passion for product innovation the brand exudes is well and truly mirrored on the inside.
END. X C.P. COMPANY "ADAPT"
writerJack Grayson
|photographerAdam Thirtle
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