Colmar 100: Joshua Vides' Capsule that reinvents an icon
A hundred years and still going strong. Colmar has celebrated its anniversary with a collaboration that marks a new chapter, a bridge between tradition and experimentation. To tell its century of history, the Italian brand chose to trust the vision of Joshua Vides, a California-based artist and designer, and the curation of Hypebeast, which orchestrated the project with a campaign featuring refined and contemporary aesthetics.
Born in Palo Alto, Vides began working with some of the most influential brands in international streetwear, before founding CLSC and becoming a global creative reference. His definitive rise came in 2017, when he decided to hand-redesign a Nike Air Force 1 with black paint and a brush: the result, an optical illusion that turned a sneaker into an almost two-dimensional object, earned him immediate acclaim. From there, his visual language – made of sharp lines, radical contrasts, and a constant play between reality and perception – has conquered the worlds of art, design, and fashion.
For Colmar, Vides extensively studied the historical archives, immersing himself in the heritage of images, garments, and symbols that have built the brand's identity. The outcome is a Capsule Collection of ten pieces that trace the most iconic milestones, revisiting them with his graphic touch. Padded jackets and reversible vests alternate white and black: on one side the Colmar Originals logo, redesigned with brushstrokes that deconstruct its form, on the other the historic 1923 logo reinterpreted with the same approach. Not simply garments, but true canvases on which the artist has laid his aesthetic.
Among the highlights is the reinterpretation of the legendary Ceffa, the jacket created in the seventies and made famous by ski athletes like Gros, Thoeni, and Stricker. Vides turned it into a jacquard sweater that represents both a tribute to the brand's sporting heritage and a collectible piece with a graphic and contemporary style.
A campaign curated by Hypebeast shapes the visual narrative, moving through retro atmospheres inspired by the '70s. The images portray three friends who, after a day on the slopes, meet an enigmatic character: The Legend, a living symbol of Colmar's 100 years of history, keeper of memories and witness to a renewing heritage. Glossy photographs, videos, and archival footage intertwine with Vides' distinctive touch, creating a constant dialogue between past and present.
The Anniversary Capsule Collection is not just a celebration but also a manifesto: for Colmar, the centenary doesn't represent a finish line but a new starting point. The collaboration with Joshua Vides symbolizes how a brand with deep roots can continue to evolve, experimenting with different languages while remaining faithful to its DNA.
