THE RE-EDIT
50th ANNIVERSARY CAPSULE
ICEBERG turns 50 this year, marking half a century of pioneering creativity and an enduring connection with the pulse of the times. It has been a journey defined by forward-thinking, inventive vision, and constant evolution. This story could not have happened without the intuition and energy of Gilmar's founders, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude: Giuliana Marchini Gerani and Silvano Gerani. In 1974, Giuliana Gerani recognised the shifting tides and saw sportswear as fashion’s future. Following the suggestion of an agent, she went to Paris and sought out the most daring and uncompromising talent Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Betting on this visionary, she took a bold risk that paid off. Castelbajac created ICEBERG and shaped its unique identity, serving as creative director for 13 groundbreaking years. Castelbajac’s radical vision was driven by a pure, modular approach to form. His innovative combinations of knitwear, leather, and sheepskin created unique results. Knitwear became a manifesto of modernity, adorned with a new kind of heraldry. In place of dusty aristocratic emblems, ICEBERG featured beloved cartoon characters, lifted from comic strips and placed onto clothing, magnified into a vibrant neo-pop insignia. This vision became Iceberg's hallmark, etching the brand into the collective imagination. ICEBERG’s narrative is shaped by its impactful iconic campaigns, helmed by bold photographers with fresh perspectives. The brand’s advertising story began in 1983, when Castelbajac called upon his friend, the legendary Oliviero Toscani, to shoot its first campaign. Instead of using models, they featured creatives from the dynamic world of popular culture, producing images that were more portraits than fashion shots. These campaigns made history. In Steven Meisel's early 1990s campaigns, it was the personalities, not the fashion, that took centre stage. This approach was later continued by visionaries like Glen Luchford, Peter Lindbergh, David LaChapelle, and Peter Arnell. ICEBERG created culture through its products and the way their stories were told.
In 1983, wearing a black zip-up with horizontal bands of color designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Andy Warhol appeared in an ICEBERG campaign created by the brilliant Oliviero Toscani. The jacket is recreated and refreshed for The Re-Edit, with its same broad bands of blue, yellow, and red, and the colored stripes also appearing on a black T-shirt.
A cropped close-up of Tom was one of the first cartoons used by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at ICEBERG in 1986. To celebrate ICEBERG’s anniversary, that same image is featured on long and short-sleeve T-shirts, as well as on the back of a bomber jacket. Meanwhile, a baseball-playing Bugs Bunny, also first used in 1986 by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, appears on T-shirts, knits, and the back of a varsity jacket.
An ICEBERG Jeans logo, worn in a 1994 campaign by former designer Marc Jacobs and shot by Steven Meisel, is brought back to life on T-shirts, hoodies, and as an insignia on the back of jeans. Jump ahead to the millennium, and a futuristic Iceberg Jeans logo, designed by Paul Mochrie in 2000 and worn in the campaign by Lil’ Kim and shot by Peter Arnell, makes a return. A denim co-ord set, inspired by the Dean & Dan years, worn in 2001 by Paris Hilton in the campaign shot by David LaChapelle.
"These are pieces that I love, and that the family love," says James Long, creative director of Iceberg, "special moments in ICEBERG's history to be worn again as we celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary."