When I was around 7 or 8 my most favourite jumper in the WHOLE WORLD was a bright yellow Benetton jumper with a pale blue seahorse and pink bubbles on the front. I swear, I used to wear that thing everywhere. In fact, every childhood birthday from the age of 6 was marked with a brand-new, garish Benetton jumper and I absolutely could NOT get enough of them.
While I was growing up and not particularly interested in fashion, only the singing Gap adverts and controversial Benetton ads under the direction of Oliviero Toscani really stuck out in my mind. Since his resignation in 2005 it's been a long time since I've seen any ad campaign that's had as much impact as 'Unhate.'
But yeah, Benetton rocks. Aaaanyway...
While the SS12 lookbook doesn't set out to shock or provoke, it is still remarkably pleasing to the eye, focusing on muliti-coloured basics and sticking to the the rulebook they pretty much created back in the 90s.
Loving that last Asian model SO much!
It's weird, I can only assume that Benetton must have a huge following in its native Italy or elsewhere in Europe because in the UK it's presence is virtually nil. The shop in Silverburn is always totally deserted which is a real shame because these are quality, fashion-forward essentials. The whole candy-coloured denim, bold prints and nude & neon trends are ones Benetton could easily get on board with, and yet I only rarely see the brand advertised in magazines.
Come on Benetton, time for an overhaul. Get your finger out!