CP Company is a designer brand, founded in Italy, whose main aim is to create a casual menswear brand to bring the traditional elements back into a man’s wardrobe. The company’s philosophy, ‘Function and Use’ is reflected in every piece produced by the brand, and has travelled through time with the changing fashion and expansion over the years.

The brand has become a designer name due to many reasons, one of them being the production of garments which are exclusively individual. C.P Company clothing is instantly recognisable and memorable which has helped it secure a place in designer men’s wear.

CP Company History

Sportswear Company, which is the parent company of CP Company, Stone Island and Boneville, is a historical company in the Italian casual wear manufactures. The brand was originally called Chester Perry but changed its name to CP Company in the late 70s due to a legal battle. The change in name saw a slight shift in direction for the company but success and major growth followed.

A company takeover happened towards the mid 1980’s by Rabaldo Tongna and GFT, followed by the arrival of Carlo Rivetti as managing director. During this time, the parent label of CP Company, Stone Island and Boneville became ‘Sportswear Company’. The company was taken over fully by Riftex after the selling of the GFT in 1993, and Carlo Rivetti was named company president.

Soon after its launch, CP Company became an essential point of reference for fashion at that time, which has shadowed through its lifespan and still applies to this day. The way they mix function and wearability is key to their stability in the fashion scene.

CP Company’s Design Philosophy

1) Research into the functional and usable garments which have derived from military style and workwear.

2) The transformation of fabrics and overall garments through the experimentation of colour.

The brand’s interests in military garments led to the creation of a number of highly acclaimed pieces from their collections. C.P Company has built huge archives that they continue to experiment and take inspiration from. Dating from the end of the last century to now, this valuable heritage provides a solid base for much of the company’s know–how’s.

CP Company’s Garment Dyeing Process

The process in which a product is first constructed from non-coloured raw fabrics before being dyed as a whole rather than put together from pre-dyed materials, garment dyeing is an age old technique that has been pioneered by CP Company for years.

Hailed as one of the finest treatments available thanks to its unique finish, worn in appeal and sheer depth / variety of colour, the brand quickly formed close ties with this method of production, using it in conjunction with a host of other techniques and combining it with their intricate fabric blends to push it to the very limits of its capabilities.

Having been the first in the world to garment dye a material consisting of two or more different fibres, CP Company have since went on to achieve a variety of colourful milestones including garment dyeing Goretex, synthetic fabrics and develop a number of unique treatments including re-colour, eclipse and tinto terra. As of 2018 the brand even offer their customers the opportunity to choose any colour they wish from the pantone library for their desired piece when ordering.

What are the CP Company Fabrics?

From Chrome to 50 Fili, CP Company have a vast list of mind bending textile combinations at their disposal. Continually tweaking bespoke blends and squeezing every last drop of functionality out of each individual fabric, the label pride themselves with their bordering on scientific relationship with their clothing. Take a look at just a small selection below.

• Chrome – Often seen as the go to material for many of the brand’s overshirts, Chrome is defined by its unique almost metal like sheen and intrinsic compatibility with garment dyeing. Made from a multi lament nylon that is derived from military canvas it boasts water resistant and quick drying properties for versatile applications; Typically seen on the iconic CP Company Overshirts.
• 50 Fili – Arguably the most quintessential of all CP Company’s materials, 50 Filli has formed the backbone of the brand’s collections since the very beginning. Comprising of a mixture of 50% cotton and 50% nylon, the fabric boasts the soft versatility of cotton whilst retaining the functional elements found in nylon. Displaying an iridescent shine when garment dyed thanks to the different ways in which each fibre reacts to the procedure, 50 Filli embodies CP Company’s fundamental principals in one versatile package.
• CP Shell – Adding their technical touch to the classic soft shell CP Shell is engineered from a weather resistant skin bonded to a breathable mesh. The result is a comfortable, stretchy and practical fabric that lends itself perfectly to hoodies, CP Company Sweatshirts and lightweight jackets.
• M.T.t.n – Standing for Multi Tension Tribolate Nylon takes influence from staple sportswear pieces from the ’80s. Using two different nylons with a twisted cord construction the material boasts a fractured finish across each piece.
• P.Ri.S.M – The latest material to come from CP Company P.Ri.S.M utilises a prismatic rip stop membrane that, once combined with their dyeing techniques, creates
• Pro-Tek – In an attempt to combine the lightweight properties of a sweatshirt with the defence of an outer layer, CP Company developed Pro-Tek. Packable, wind proof and quick-drying it comes with a WR coating for even more protective qualities.

CP Company Jackets

Possibly the most well-known jacket from the company, the Goggle Jacket is arguably just as iconic as the brand itself. It was originally designed by Massimo Osti as part of the sponsorship deal for the world famous ‘Mille Miglia’ open road endurance race, which took place in the cities of Italy from 1927 to 1957. This is where the jacket gained its nickname Mille Miglia.

The original jacket incorporated goggles into the hood, which could be flipped down allowing the goggles to be worn directly over the eyes. When designing the jacket, Osti considered the roads included in the race track as inspiration for his ingenious goggle hood idea. Along with the goggles, a clear lens was inserted into the sleeve of the jacket, named the ‘watch viewer’ so the racer could easily check the time.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CP Company Goggle Jacket, the Italian brand teamed up with fashion designer Aitor Throup, to launch a special anniversary edition of the iconic jacket in 2009. Aitor Throup’s basis for the design was to take the jacket back to its foundations, the race itself.

“I have taken a literal approach to driving ergonomics and functionality, with the aim of creating a piece that is even further informed by the driving concept than the original.”

CP Company Hats

With the brands most well known jacket being the iconic Mille Miglia, it makes total sense that the Italian outfits best selling hat is its Goggle Beanie. Arriving in a variety of colourways, this knitted companion will keep your head warm while letting those around you know that you’ve got style. CP Company Hats are also available in summer too, with an array of caps available featuring the brands signature materials, such as Chrome Nylon.

How does CP Company fit?

C.P Company pride themselves in innovative designs, fabric dying and treatments, focusing on the structure and fit of the garment, and the goggle jacket is a stern example of this craftsmanship.

The overall structure and design of the jacket had been based on the human form, in a driving position which ultimately provides maximum comfort. The jacket has slightly bent and forward arms mixed with extra volume built into the back that enables the jacket to morph from the standard ‘standing position’ into a more complex’ driving position’. This is a completely unique feature to the goggle jacket.

Throups had previously collaborated with Stone Island on two projects which were presented at Milan Fashion week in 2008, followed by the C.P Company collaboration in 2009. The re-design featured a fully ergonomic construction based on a life size sculpture of the human body in the driving position, focusing attention on the heritage of the jacket and its actual use.

The hood has also undergone a complete re-construction and design, considering ergonomics as a huge part of the overall structure and fit. Now, the hood fits perfectly over a driving helmet when the draw strings are relaxed and is an anatomically accurate fit for the human head.

The goggles section has gained a deeper ridged nose and a closer fitting shape while the shape of the goggles are now circular, which mirrors the watch viewer. This ties all the details together for an aesthetic which is reminiscent of the jacket’s original racing origins. The ‘watch viewer’ now also interacts seamlessly with the detachable padded lining for a smoother, smarter overall appearance.

The Goggle Jacket, like all other CP Company jackets, has been crafted from top quality fabrics which capture the integrity and authenticity of the concept of the jacket. The material is a 3 layer GORE-TEX performance shell fabric with a waterproof membrane and every seam has been finished with GORE-SEAM waterproof thermo-taping.

 

 

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