United Colors of Benetton is back with an attitude

United Colors of Benetton play quite their part in my life. As a child I was taken on a yearly trip and anything that fitted me I got given in every color until I had outgrown it again the following year. My wardrobe itself looks a lot like a Benetton display, things are organized by color and I own EVERYTHING in every color, be it bags (Longchamps in every color), tops, coats, gloves, scarves, shoes, jumpers - you name it. If it's an important item, I have it in all colors. Everybody who knows me knows that I am all about color coordination - sometimes I coordinate a bit too much. But that is my thing, so United Colors of Benetton and Pantone are very high up in the companies that I like.

Furthermore, during my Sociology and Cultural Studies degree I wrote a major piece about several of their advertising campaigns that were so controversial and therefore struck a very happy note in my "Stick it to the Man and hate stereotypes" perspective on things. They focused on three different cycles: difference, reality, and that of free speech and the right to express it.

Throughout the years their campaigns have received extreme reactions either way - the clean imagery depicted taboos Oliviero Toscani identified with a stabbing grace, calling to attention an outrage rarely paralleled by a fashion house so innocent in the actual creation and design.

Wars at Peace

Religion

Cycle of life and death

Racial difference

Benetton have also been constantly supportive of causes such as the fight (strange word to use here, no?) against domestic violence, food for life, aids awareness and many more. I'm sure you also remember the disputed images of death row candidates pointing out the humanity being wasted and apes making us re-think humanity in general.

Domestic Violence

Apes


Death Row

One of their masterpieces, I personally think, is the following image taken by Therese Frare and based on the "Pieta" by Michelangelo an image that "changed the world" to raise awareness for Aids

(Please click on the respective images to get taken to their source pages)

It has therefore pained me on several levels to see the colors of Benetton wash out - both in terms of the colors used for their collections and the surely pretty and colorful, but morally washed out images of pretty models frolicking happily in the washed out colors that were only colorful when put together.

You can therefore imagine my delight when I was invited by Kristin from The Clothes Whisperer to the re-opening of their Oxford Circus store, which she was asked to photograph as the event photographer (say a woop for the whisperer!) and encountering at the entrance a wall with neatly folded cashmere jumpers in the strong colors they once were. However, I don't think Oliviero Toscani has been called back, unfortunately. A small touch of "FUCK YOU" was still making me smile - two of the mannequins had adjustable hands, both of which had their middle finger out. I wonder if anyone else noticed...

Showing us all the middle finger

"Long time no seeee!"

Freak DeLuxe andStylecartel

These cupcakes looked pretty but they weren't very good

Colors, colors everywhere

"Everything is awe to the some!"

Too much prettiness for a single picture - Emily from Fashion Foie Gras being her radiant self and the fabulous Butters taking a break from her Louis Vuitton Neverfull while her mommy (The Clothes Whisperer) was working

Freak DeLuxe snapping the location style

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most colorful of them all?


Freak DeLuxe snapping more location style

Models. 'Nuff said.

I loved this guy's vest

One of my favourite outfits of the evening. Check out that combo!

An outfit very much Portmanteau approved. Matched to perfection.

Legs drooling alert

Jumpers to my taste

Colorful midget between models. United.