United Colors of Benetton: The Apple of Our Eye

New creative director Andrea Incontri enters the scene with one message: Be Everything.

For United Colors of Benetton, Milan Fashion Week was a homecoming event. With their Spring/Summer 2023 runway show taking place in their retail store, the collection regrounded itself in the brand’s roots. Plus, with new creative director Andrea Incontri taking her first swing for the brand, the show served as a promise to keep up their classic looks. Bold and fruit-filled, the collection harped on what United Colors of Benetton knows best: well-executed, whimsical garments. 

Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton
Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton

On a basic level, the SS23 collection put the brand’s staples first. United Colors of Benetton is known for its knitwear, using the basic stitch to create layered garments. Almost all of the garments in this collection are knit in some form, from bold print sweaters to three-piece sets. 

The collection also calls back to the brand archives with its color-blocking, using bold, sectioned neons. The multitude of colors ranges garment-to-garment, with some looks featuring several and others centering on one, all-encompassing hue. Those shades are never quiet, though. With bright yellows and traffic-cone oranges, the United Colors of Benetton line is meant to stand out. 

Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton
Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton

Where Incontri got to exert some more pointed creative direction is in the collection’s print theming, choosing to focus on food patterns. Food is a fascinating creative medium, mostly because its imagistic patterns can vary so widely. We can imagine the plastic-wrapped artificiality of some foods, while also thinking of the more organic, raw qualities of others. This inspiration guides Incontri, bringing both sides of food imagery to her collection. 

Consider the collection’s cherry-printed knit sets, featuring a bra, shorts, cardigan, and hat. The cherries are featured in their glowing red glory, becoming an almost electronic, Pacman-inspired vision. The base tone of muted pink dilutes the drama of the cherries, making the look feel more grounded and less outwardly exuberant. With a matching cross-body and purse to boot, the look is perfectly crafted and utterly modern. 

Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton
Image courtesy of United Colors of Benetton

With this collection, Incontri proves that she can both reflect the history of United Colors of Benetton and equally push it forward. It was an incredibly smart decision to hold the showing in the brand’s retail store, for it reflects her commitment to the vision. Incontri has thoroughly expressed her desire to keep the brand’s classic stylings, while also inserting some room for creative growth.

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