Stone Island

Articles on Stone Island

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Stone Island is just like any other hyped brand with its boldness to experiment in its garments. But it isn’t just like any other because of the culture of research and strong sense of function that it has encoded in its DNA.

Founded in 1982, Stone Island was born in the mind of legendary fashion designer Massimo Osti. Ravarino in Italy was its home. While studying two rigid materials washed with pumice stones, the experiment gave way to a fabric that had a worn-in appeal but still is durable. This came to be known as the Tela Stella, which was used in the seven first jackets for the brand. As for the name, well… it also took some thought and a bit of literary knowledge. Stone Island came from the novels of Joseph Conrad, where the words “stone” and “island” are repeated all throughout, arguably representative of the strong image that the brand generates from its clothes.

Soon, Carlo Rivetti entered the scene, and graciously took over Stone Island with his sister Cristina by the 1990s. The duo has maintained the legacy of Osti, though, and kept his brand alive. From its nylo-monofilament outerwear to thermo-sensitive jackets that change color, Stone Island came to be known as the brand that elevates style by giving enough consideration to function and life, too.

Stone Island does intensive research

Stone Island knows that sensibility takes precedence over pizzazz in sportswear design, which is why it has allotted much of its energy in the research that goes into determining which textiles and fibers to use. The brand also works on improving and transforming fabrics to come in the lab, ending with variations never before seen in the industry. After figuring this out, it takes into consideration the style, now experimenting with colors and treatments in its laboratory. In fact, the company has developed in its relatively short existence recipes of 60,000 different dyes.

The overall result is worth all the effort, as Stone Island has come up with timeless designs that young-uns still look up to when it comes to figuring their own sporty style. The garments won’t wither away in time, either, or be relegated to simply fashion statements because they would serve their purpose and stay in your wardrobe for a long while.

Stone Island is inspired

The brand’s penchant for apparel that fuses design with function is due to the inspiration it took from work uniforms. They function depending on the needs of the field and give an aura of authority, of status, something that Stone Island also wants to achieve with its clothes.

From this inspiration also came the badges that now make the brand easily identifiable. It has had changes through the years, although it already was a removable feature right at the beginning. A wearer can opt without it or do otherwise with the buttons located on the left side, specifically at the left arm’s upper sleeve. There are three colors of the edges too, with the first few ones in green, the others after the turn of the millennium in black and those which were released around the same time and are used for jackets with fabrics developed in-house in rarer white.

Stone Island is admired

Stone Island may be of a high stature, but it is particularly a favorite among European men. In the 1990s, it was a preferred label among football fans in the continent, even featured in football-inspired films such as the Green Street. The brand doesn’t offer women’s clothes, but young women were also seen donning Stone Islands.

Celebrities were also in among the fuss, with Canadian artist Drake probably the most fond of the brand of them all. Some noted that his love for the brand is almost fanboyish, as he was spotted wearing the garments for consecutive Boy Meets World tour dates. Other artists seen wearing Stone Island items include Frank Ocean and Travis Scott.

The brand made a buzz in recent years with its collaboration with streetwear brand Supreme. In the past, it has also released footwear in its collaborations with Adidas, Diemme, and New Balance. The results were sneakers and boots made of premium materials and kicky, something its patrons would love to collect.

Slowly edging towards its 40th year, Stone Island still is a visionary in menswear. The garments that were created in the likeness of uniforms and work clothes are distinct in their lasting appeal but also improved fabric that took time and research to develop. For its efforts, the labels meets a criterion that rarely can be said for others of the same level: Stone Island is where performance meets style.