MAM
United Colors of Benetton opens milan fashion week with a poolside fashion show – the color wave
MUMBAI: Color Wave is the second fashion show by the historic Treviso brand. United Colors of Benetton, under the artistic direction of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, offers a Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show inspired entirely by the sea. The location is the historic Piscina Cozzi swimming pool, a masterpiece of ’30s architecture, the perfect setting for conveying the French designer’s message: “Dive into fashion week with Benetton and enjoy the final days of summer, Ã la piscine”.
The sea, water, and sailing are the timeless themes of the United Colors of Benetton style, interpreted here as a metaphor for a voyage among the most beautiful and characteristic ports of the Mediterranean, from St. Tropez to Hydra. A palette of pastel hues, pink, lilac and pale blue – “Bajac pastels”, as JCDC calls them – is the leitmotif used to create a wardrobe of cult items. A fine marinière, a waxed peacoat, a perfect pullover, a chic, dynamic office look, a mix ‘n’ match unlined men’s suit for an easy bon ton style are the key items Benetton offers for a cosmopolitan global public of any age and gender.
In addition to the poudre hues of the company’s historic colour palette, we find every possible shade of blue, from marine blue to fine cobalt and the many délavé blues created with natural mineral dyes – all in a homage to The season’s must-haves are white sweatshirts and maxi T-shirts printed with images from Oliviero Toscani’s advertising campaigns. “I wanted to create an exhibition in motion, to show even the younger crowd the revolutionary nature of Oliviero’s work, which is part of the brand’s heritage”, explains JCDC.
Popeye the Sailor Man also makes an appearance in the collection, serving as a “green” ambassador, putting his famous strength to work to protect the oceans. His image appears on T-shirts, dresses and sweatshirts in a variety of digital prints: sustainability is a very important issue for Benetton, whose research laboratories have developed natural, non-toxic dyes and innovative products made of ecological materials, such as a trench coat made of paper and recycled fibres.
In a world of short-lived trends, UCB offers a unique vision of well-made fashions designed for everyone. Drop anchor in a port of health and beauty, dive into a world of zest and dynamism, find a safe haven in timeless style: let’s all go for a dip in Benetton’s Color Wave pool before the autumn begins and our sailor's tan begins to fade!
MAM
‘You packed my parachute’: Avinash Kaul’s farewell salutes Network18’s unsung thousands
The outgoing chief’s LinkedIn post skips the boardroom tributes and goes straight to the security guards, drivers and office boys who kept the machine running
MUMBAI: Most farewell posts by senior media executives follow a familiar script: gratitude to leadership, a nod to the team, a hint of what lies ahead. Avinash Kaul’s is not that post.
Writing on LinkedIn on his last day at Network18 Media & Investments, where he spent nearly 12 years rising to chief executive, Kaul bypassed the boardroom entirely and directed his most heartfelt words at the people furthest from it: the security guard who greeted him before the building was fully awake, the fleet staff who drove him to airports at ungodly hours, the office assistants, the housekeeping teams, and the administrators who, as he put it, “held ten thousand invisible threads so the rest of us could look organised.”
“You packed my parachute,” he wrote. “Every day. Without fanfare, recognition, or ever asking for it.”
It was a striking note from a man who leaves behind a considerable operational record. Kaul joined Network18 managing three channels and exits with responsibility for 20, alongside a publishing business, a growing connected television footprint, and what he says is the highest revenue and highest channel share in the group’s history. He was quick to deflect the credit. “Not because of me. Because of 4,000 people who showed up, every day, in every department, across the country.”
To content teams across India, he issued a reminder that carries some weight given the pressures Indian news media currently faces. “Keep being custodians of trust for 700 million people. That is not a small thing. That is the whole thing.”
To colleagues in revenue and ratings who found him relentless and hard to satisfy, he was unapologetic but generous. “There was never a single moment of ill intent in my heart. Everything I pushed you towards came from one belief – that you were stronger than you knew, and I was not willing to let you settle for less than your real capability.” Those who believed him, he said, flew. Those who did not taught him to be a better communicator. He was grateful to both.
On what comes next, he offered a hint wrapped in metaphor. Something is being built, he said, prepared for “the way you pack a bag before a long climb. Not out of restlessness. Out of readiness.”
In a media landscape that rarely pauses to acknowledge the people who keep the lights on, it was, at the very least, a different kind of goodbye.
