PATTA X C.P. COMPANY CAPSULE COLLECTION

Patta and C.P. Company have joined forces to create a capsule collection for SS19. Combining C.P. Company’s expertise on garment dyeing and technical fabrics with Patta’s continuous exploration of culture and streetwear, the collaboration results in a full-look collection where form follows function. 

The roots of the interaction between the Italian sportswear innovator and ourselves can be found in 2018, when we met in Paris. After this first connection, Patta visited C.P. Company’s archive in Bologna. The colours, fabrics and vintage samples found during this immersion into the brand’s rich history formed the first inspirations for the capsule collection.

What Massimo Osti did for sportswear is unprecedented, and after visiting the archive, we took a deep-dive through C.P. Company’s rich history in search of a middle ground. Our first instinct was to find innovative fabrics and hues that felt compatible with the Amsterdam weather. This also meant finding technical fabrics that could react well to wind and rain, but also breathe and dry quickly.

Kindred Spirits

What followed was a near perfect design process characterized by total respect on both sides – a true collaboration between two equal partners, if not kindred spirits. Throughout the process, we were all searching for something new that enrichened both entities and elevated existing garments and accessories. This exercise in functionality was essential to both Patta and C.P. Company and can be found throughout the collection’s garments. Testament to this function-follows-form mentality can be found in the tiniest details, from the choice in water- and windproof fabrics to the placement of mesh behind zippers. 

Additionally, Jacket sling-styled straps were added to the fishtail parka, enabling the garments to be carried over the shoulders. C.P. Company garments like the Goggle Fishtail Parka, jerseys and beanies were all tested and analyzed by the Patta team. Guided by the technical expertise of Paul Harvey, C.P. Company designer, elements were added or distilled to guarantee the highest form of functionality. These items are one of a kind designs that will only exist in this capsule collection.

Reinterpreted for a New Generation

“For a brand with such a long and consistently strong history as that of C.P. Company, it’s always an exciting challenge to find ways to stay in touch with new generations. One of the most concrete and inspiring ways of finding that connection is through collaborations with brands and creatives that share our values but express them in different manners. Patta team had such amazing respect for C.P. Company’s story and shared our desire to reinterpret that story for this new generation,” acknowledges Harvey.

“The street culture is so tied into sportswear, and I think C.P. Company can lay a very credible claim to be the father of all sportswear,” says Harvey about C.P. Company’s place in the current zeitgeist. “But the way vintage and contemporary sportswear is now mixed into streetwear, driven by a new generation of influencers, hashtags, resellers, and vintage online retailers, adds yet another layer of interpretation. And working together with Patta – yes, a streetwear brand from Amsterdam, but one that operates on a global platform – can only help us in this interpretation.”

The C.P. Company x Patta collaboration for SS019 will be available in stores and online at www.cpcompany.com, www.patta.nl & BEAMS T starting from April 6th, 2019. Beyond a capsule collection, Patta and C.P. Company also collaborated on a dedicated magazine, in which we further explore the collaboration and ideation behind the process.