COS: what it stands for and how Coco Chanel is surprising inspiration for label’s Scandinavian minimalism
- Brand known for its Scandinavian minimalism and architecturally inspired looks operates like a luxury brand at an affordable price point
- Karin Gustafsson, creative director of COS, says her personal design hero is Coco Chanel
Renowned for its Scandinavian aesthetic, COS is the grown-up in the H&M group – the sophisticated sister that somehow always knows what to wear.
But there are a few things that the casual COS shopper might not know. One, that the brand’s name is an acronym for Collection of Style; and two, that it is based in London, not Stockholm.
It might also come as a surprise to learn that the brand is heavily involved in supporting the arts. Not only has COS hosted an exhibition at Milan Design Week for eight consecutive years, but it has also worked on projects with The Serpentine Galleries and The Guggenheim New York. In 2015, COS took over Hong Kong’s Central Ferry Pier 4 with a special installation by André Fu.
Suffice to say that this is not a brand that merely pays lip service to art and design. For this year’s Salone del Mobile, Milan’s design fair, COS partnered with French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani and his team to create Conifera, an installation set in the 16th-century courtyard and gardens of Palazzo Isimbardi.
Made from 700 bioplastic “bricks”, Mamou-Mani says it’s the largest 3D-printed piece of biomaterial to date.
