Established at the end of 2009, the Benetton Archive is located in the Benetton Studios, a multifunctional area within the Castrette company headquarters. Under the scientific guidance of the Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche, the Archive – which traces the company’s history, from the 1960s to the present – acts as both a custodian of Benetton’s heritage and as the ‘furnace’ where the future is forged.

THE ARCHIVE’S HOLDINGS
The Archive occupies an area of over 1,200 square metres, with a space dedicated exclusively to storage and an area for research and consultation.  The section dedicated to products includes samples of fabric, sketches, weaving patterns, a collection of knitting stitches, vintage fashion magazines, technical files, colour palettes of the 70s and 80s, a yarn archive, and colour and yarn references currently in use. The knitwear archive, on the other hand, is housed in Ponzano and contains 12,000 items. The section dedicated to communication materials includes a wide collection of fashion editorials, catalogues, advertising campaigns, billboards, window display materials, periodicals and photographic material. Real-estate development plans (designs for stores, plants, and company office locations) are also preserved, together with some historic knitting machinery.
Another display area of 2,000 square metres houses a selection of advertising campaigns as well as 16 Formula One racing cars that relate the story of Benetton Formula team’s 19-year participation in the world’s top racing championship.