C.P. COMPANY: CINQUANTA
This year marks the 50th anniversary of C.P. Company’s debut as a leading purveyor of contemporary staples, starting with the screen-printed tee — something that has never failed to complete an outfit — and then the many urban casual reinterpretations of vintage military styles and OG workwear and Italian sportswear. The company’s founder and mastermind, Massimo Osti, has built a diverse following that has remained loyal for one simple reason: he’s always made garments with care and thought and, looking back at the past few decades, it shows /
The brand has been reminiscing about their legacy with a commemorative book earlier this year, and just recently they’ve held a panel discussion, Cinquanta, with Massimo’s son and President of C.P. Company, Lorenzo Osti, Director of the Westminster Menswear Archive Professor Andrew Groves, designer of the adidas Spezial Gary Aspden, and a close friend of the brand, Neil Munn — which was hosted by our good pal (and TNO contributing editor) David Hellqvist.
We caught up with David to hear how it went.
How do you think C.P. Company has evolved over 50 years, and in what ways does it remain the same?
Obviously, I can only speak about C.P. Company as an outsider, both as a consumer and as an industry observer, but I think a lot of the ethos and DNA behind CP has remained; to make the best possible clothes with the tools available. What has changed is the process, the technology at hand. CP is all about innovating and experimenting with fabrics and materials, and I imagine what was possible 50 years ago is very different to what can be done today.
Were there any highlights during the panel discussion?
All four participants brought an interesting point of view to the discussion, both professionally and personally, but I have to say that having Lorenzo Osti, the son of CP founder Massimo Osti, next to me and to be able to ask what it was like for him and his father, at the very beginning of C.P. Company, was pretty fantastic.
Was the panel an occasion for Lorenzo to share his vision of where the company is heading?
Not really, if anything it was more about looking in the rearview mirror, it being the 50th anniversary of the brand this year. We talked about what aspects of the brand brings out that mentioned emotional connection, the cultural moments of the past that helped bring in CP, and anchor it, in the North of England back in the day. What were the circumstances - culturally, socially, politically - that facilitated its rise. How come this very specific brand with a, let's be honest, quite significant price tag, managed to get such a foothold among everyday people in everyday England?
What similarities can you see in people’s attachment to C.P. Company?
It’s pure emotion. Clothes are just clothes really, aren't they? They keep you warm and dry - without them you'd get arrested pretty quickly. But good clothes do something else, they say something about the wearer and what he or she is feeling. There are many brands that allow the wearer that sense of expression, but a brand like C.P. Company has an almost built-in ability to communicate through the unique combination of a specific person and a particular coat.
Overall, what was the take-home message?
That as soon as clothes cease to be just something you wear for the sake of wearing it, there's an inherent emotional attachment to the garment. That's very powerful stuff. Getting dressed is the most common and natural thing for all of us, but it's also a personal expression, an extension of who you are and how you feel.
