Since it’s foundation in 1971, C.P. Company has been propelled by the same elements that are still integral to the brand. 50 years later, C.P. Company is ready to celebrate the origins of sportswear with IDEA through respectful homage to five decades of garment innovation. C.P. Company 971-021 ‘An informal history of Italian sportswear’ is a monumental 438-page monograph (the first in the brand’s history) which celebrates its archive.
By inviting 50 fans of the brand of all ages from across the world to be “self-styled” and photographed wearing historical C.P. Company garments that tell the story of their passion for the brand and how they have used it le ground-breaking garments to define and express their identity, the book unravels a rich narrative of an entirely new way of dressing that has emerged in the last 50 years: Italian sportswear.
“Looking through the book and all my photos what I like most about the images is how they’ve documented these 50 incredible, very different people, that are at the same time all connected by one thing: C.P. Company. When I was photographing them I was trying to understand them, and capture in some way their history in a memorable image, but looking at them all together it becomes something bigger.”
Neil Bedford - Photographer
Accompanying the 50 portraits that comprise the main body of the book is a 180-page Design and Manufacturing Glossary featuring over 200 garments from the brand’s archive, together with detailed, often anecdotal descriptions of the manufacturing techniques and stories behind their development.
The selection of garments highlights moments, manufacturing techniques and fabrics that best express the spirit of the brand and speak to the contemporary relevance of its entire history.
C.P. Company 971-021 ‘An informal history of Italian Sportswear’ published by IDEA is available with us online now!
