COS celebrates 10 years of essential style with a capsule collection

H&M-owned fashion label COS has celebrated the tenth anniversary of its first opening in London, in uber-central Regent Street, by releasing a 10-item men’s, women’s and children’s capsule collection, one item for each of its ten years. The collection is available from 24th March at the label's stores and online, and the launch is supported by a video showcasing the range.

COS's collections have always been heavily influenced by art and design, and the label has often collaborated with art institutions, artists and emerging and established designers, creating over 30 projects of this kind across Europe, Asia and the USA. From a design point of view, each of the new collection’s items was created like a jigsaw puzzle, striving to use the entire width of the fabric to the best effect, without any waste.

The end result is a range with clean lines, generous volumes and rectilinear silhouettes. The long shirt-dress features soft, double-layer fabric panels, as does the men's tech jacket with twin functional pockets. There is a distinctive Japanese influence in the proportions of the boxy cuts in the men's tee-shirt and the women's overcoat, the latter with kimono-style sleeves, while amusing patches brighten up the children's shirts and dresses. The clothes are made using lightweight fabrics such as crushed cotton and tech polyester, in predominantly white and beige hues.

"Our style department, said COS's Creative Director Karin Gustafsson, took this opportunity to adopt a playful, experimental approach to modelling and cuts, thinking up new design methods. Model-makers and designers have worked shoulder to shoulder, referencing traditional techniques to maximise the materials' yield. Looking to the future, our objective will increasingly be to keep focusing on an efficient use of fabrics and on sustainable techniques."