Two girls on the banks of the Seine in Paris.
One is dressed in black, the other in red. Behind them, a seated man plays a guitar. The Eiffel Tower stands out in
the background.
This image, which launches the Spring Summer 1972 Collection, precedes the historical campaigns
photographed by Oliviero Toscani by more than a decade. Yet it already contains the seeds of what will be the
Benetton revolution.
“In Paris, as in London and New York”, reads the text, to underline the brand’s cosmopolitan drive. Benetton is
“living fashion”: destined to be paraded on streets all over the world, more than on just the catwalks.
In the text there’s also a reference to a “thousand colors”, which will soon become part of one of the best-
known global brands: United Colors of Benetton.