Jean-Charles de Castelbajac is the new artistic director of United Colors of Benetton men’s and women’s collections. A fashion designer, Castelbajac has had a long career that spans design to painting, advertising and street art. He debuted in the fashion world in 1968, when he launched a brand created in collaboration with his mother. He then went on to inspire fashion trends such as the anti-fashion movement and the alternative use of objects to decorate garments.
Born from a mix of punk and pop, his style is characterized by the use of strong colors and pop icons, the mix of old and new and a whimsical and irreverent touch.
United Colors of Benetton and Castelbajac have always had a similar take on fashion, characterized by the passion for knitwear and the love of pop and rainbow colors. Castelbajac and Benetton also share a passion for contaminating fashion with art. In his career, the French designer has befriended and worked with artists such as Andy Warhol, Miguel Barcelo, Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, M.I.A and Lady Gaga. His creations have been displayed at New York’s Institute of Fashion and Technology, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the Galliera Museum in Paris. In 2018 he was guest artistic director at the Paris Biennale.
