As is always the case for C.P. Company, colour – specifically garment dyeing and the otherwise unachievable tones and nuances the process produces – is the driving force for SS020, dictating the mood and feel of the collection.

In particular, for SS020 the design team has returned to explore the two foundational colours of the brand: Olive Drab and Navy Blue, both explicit references to the roots of the brand in vintage military uniforms, work and sportswear and a choice which tinges the entire collection with a more discrete and sophisticated atmosphere. Beginning from these two iconic colours the designers have applied the garment dyeing process to proprietary urban performance fabrics (including the new M.T.t.N and summer-weight Nyber), spreading the colour palette out into unexpected half tones and pastels. This “hybridized classic” attitude is further emphasized by the greater use of natural fabrics, including 50 fili and linen materials which have been plated in order to increase functionality but also highlighting the grain of the fabric (much in the same way as garment dyeing).

Continuing the investigations begun in recent seasons, SS020 sees an ever greater focus on the development of a wide range of lightweight and intermediate layers that reflect a highly contemporary attitude towards an active urban lifestyle, both in terms of performance and styling: shirts have been thoroughly deconstructed and reconstructed again in a wide range of weights and styles to represent the ultimate “high summer” shoulder piece; sweatshirts become more and more like multi-use jackets, cut with technical pockets and a combination of breathable and protective fabrics; multi-pocket vests become increasingly important part of the outerwear collection and the brand’s range of accessories grows to include an ever more specialized range of next-to-body bags, belts and strap systems.

The overall effect is a collection whose classically infused colours and fabrics represent an immediately obvious and recognizable homage to the way C.P. Company has been worn by its customers on the street for over 40 years, whilst the aggressively contemporary styling of garment models and accessories layers this homage with a not unsubtle echo of the future of the brand and urban sportswear in general.