Colmar Celebrates one hundredth Anniversary With Creative Capsule

MILAN — Collaboration is rooted within the historical past of Colmar, the skiwear and sportswear specialist that was based in Monza, just a few miles north of Milan, in 1923.

Lots of its key efforts to develop efficiency outerwear geared to the slopes have been shared with Italian ski champions during the last century, from Leo Gasperl to Zeno Colò. Lately, and since debuting the Originals way of life division, Colmar has linked with a roster of trend designers, together with Shayne Oliver for its A.G.E. undertaking, and most just lately with White Mountaineering’s Yosuke Aizawa, named inventive director of its newly launched, fashion-savvy Revolution line.

To mark its centennial, the model took a special path, although, collaborating with visible and graphic artist Joshua Vides to design a 10-piece capsule assortment unveiled in Milan on Thursday.

“I’m somewhat bit petrified of this anniversary, however it implies that our household firm has continued to innovate during the last 100 years. With out R&D we wouldn’t be right here. I feel we’ve at all times fueled our DNA, combining model — Italian model — and efficiency,” mentioned Colmar’s chief government officer Giulio Colombo, a third-generation member of the founding household.

Collaborations are an integral a part of that modern mindset. “They’re a supply of innovation and inspiration, permitting us to step up on our tradition,” he mentioned.

Vides, a Palo Alto, Calif., native who’s now based mostly out of Los Angeles, rose to international fame after posting on social networks a pair of custom-made Nike Air Pressure 1 along with his distinct black-and-white marker sketches. Identified for his graphic monochromatic model of thick, black, Roy Lichtenstein-ish strains, which he has utilized to merchandise and initiatives, in addition to to visible artwork by way of his “Actuality to Concept” idea, he has labored with manufacturers together with Fendi, Nike, Converse and Google and proven his artwork on the Museum of Up to date Artwork Chicago.

“There’s solely so many manufacturers which might be nonetheless round after 100 years and attempting to remain related… [but] there’s so many 100-year-old manufacturers round sticking to what they know and not likely permitting others to enter their house and so to have the chance to work with the model that has the archives that Colmar has to me was inspiring,” the artist mentioned.

“The second I used to be in a position to step foot within the Colmar archive and household I found we share the identical strengths as creatives and entrepreneurs,” he added. “Anyone that permits you into their home [you should] take your sneakers off, wash your palms and do every part attainable to respect the house,” he mentioned.

“We had to do that on the spot… We have been in a position to come collectively and make a pattern in 4 hours. It was a very fast 24 hours within the [Colmar] headquarters, it was a rollercoaster of feelings for everyone… and I feel when you may have two like-minded creatives you may make magic,” he mentioned, including he didn’t have private connections with or affection for Colmar earlier than the tie-in.

Included within the celebratory capsule assortment are double-faced puffer jackets and vests, bearing a black-on-white comedian strip-like design on one facet and decked in complete black with a devoted sketched emblem on the again. The latter is Vides’ reinterpretation of Colmar’s 1923 emblem, which encompasses a dove gliding on water, right here rendered in black and pink moderately than blue and pink, as in Colmar’s signature pictograms.

Drawing inspiration from the archives, Vides reinterpreted a ’70s jacket, nicknamed Ceffa by ski champion Erwin Stricker, as a jacquard cashmere and wool crewneck with a sports activities bib sample, or a T-shirt printed with medals in nods to Croatian skier Ivica Kostelic’s wins. Tromp l’oeil-patterned beanies, a emblem scarf, in addition to a sweatshirt and cotton pants full the gathering.

“It’s highlighting the model and their heritage… what they stand for. their archives and pictures, with individuals crossing the end line on the Olympics, all of that wanted to be celebrated… to seize these monumental moments that they’d,” Vides mentioned.

By its skiwear division Colmar has been the clothes shop of winter sports activities athletes internationally, most just lately supplying gear to the France, Slovenia and Belgium groups.

“It’s a abstract of our sport expertise over 100 years,” Colombo mentioned concerning the capsule.

The capsule debuts Thursday on the Antonia multibrand luxurious retailer in Milan, in addition to on its e-commerce web site, along with Colmar’s retail touchpoints. It’s priced between 79 euros for the T-shirt and beanies and 799 euros for the puffer jacket.

The anniversary capsule is flanked by making-of and marketing campaign movies, the latter full of tongue-in-cheek references to classic snowboarding. Fronted by fashions of various ages and provenance, it depicts 4 characters dubbed “The Legend,” “The Rookie,” “The Poser,” and “The Wildcard.”