Published Wednesday 29 September 2021 at 17:16
Archive images and artefacts from C.P. Company will be on display in Darwen Library from 1-10 October to celebrate 50 years of the brand, alongside a series of photographic portraits featuring young men from Blackburn and Darwen.
Darwen Library will become home to a series of cabinets that present a range of artefacts from across the decades from C.P. Company. There will also be a display of 12 issues of the iconic C.P. Company magazine that was first published in 1985 and marked a new approach to fashion marketing.
This display links to the CINQUANTA exhibition in Darwen Market basement, marking the 50th anniversary of the C.P. Company brand as part of the British Textile Biennial 2021. You can book your free tickets to the exhibition at www.cpcompany.com/en-ph/darwen.html.
Alongside the displays in Darwen Library there is also a selection of paintings by local artist Adil Amin, who paints young Asian men wearing C.P. Company, as well as a series of images from the Portrait Youth project.
Portrait Youth is a research project led by staff from the Manchester Fashion Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University. The project aims to document youth identities through styling and clothes.
A recent collaboration between Portrait Youth, Italian sportswear brand C.P. Company and Westminster Menswear Archive will be on display on the digital screen at King William Street 1-10 October.
The Portrait Youth team worked with Blackburn Youth Zone and IMO to encourage a group of young men from Blackburn and Darwen to explore their identity through styling and photography. Participants were interviewed about their approaches to dressing and had the chance to style their own outfits for a professional photoshoot with acclaimed photographer Neil Bedford, who has photographed icons such as Pharrell, Liam Gallagher and Lionel Messi.
Councilor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration, said:
The British Textile Biennial always creates such a buzz across the borough and generates a lot of positive interest for Blackburn with Darwen.
It’s great to see local community groups being placed at the forefront of these projects, giving our residents incredible opportunities to work with big brands and industry leaders.
I look forward to enjoying the program of events the Biennial has on offer and learning more about the history of our textile towns and Darwen’s connection to the iconic C.P. Company.
Venue
Darwen Library
Knott St, Darwen BB3 3BU
Opening hours
Monday 10.00-19.00
Tuesday closed
Wednesday and Thursday 13.00-17.00
Friday 10.00-17.00
Saturday 10.00-14.00