Item 2017.352.2 - Stone Island Helicopter Vest

Stone Island was founded in 1982 in Ravarino, Italy, as a new brand under the creative direction of Massimo Osti (1944–2005). Osti had previously founded C.P. Company in 1971. Stone Island is renowned for its fabric innovation, having launched a collection made from a material called Tela Stella. Other fabric innovations included Raso Gommato (1983), Thermosensitive fabric (1987) and Reflective fabric (1991). Osti had an early influence on Stone Island’s design process by photocopying and collaging vintage military, utilitarian and functional garments to create innovative designs. Fabrication is also aided by an extensive laboratory containing over 60,000 dyeing recipes.

Stone Island Marina was introduced in Spring Summer 1983 to differentiate a line of garments designed specifically for use on sailing boats, including jackets, sweatshirts, polo shirts, cotton knits, T-shirts, jeans and canvas shoes. For Autumn Winter 1983, the range was expanded to include windbreakers, PVC parkas and jeans with rainproof PVC overtrousers. Most of the outerwear in the Stone Island Marina range was constructed from Raso Gommato; the sweatshirts were made of fabric that was screen-printed all over to give the garments a rigid finish. Additional ranges were developed, including Stone Island Golf and Stone Island Tennis launched in 1988, and No Seasons from 1989. Between 2001 and 2003, the company produced its first womenswear collection, Serie 100. The Stone Island Denims range was launched in 2001 and Stone Island Junior in 2008.

Massimo Osti departed Stone Island in 1995 and was succeeded in 1996 by British designer Paul Harvey, whose innovations included the fibre optic Light jacket, the Pure Metal Shell jackets, garment-dyed Kevlar, and the NOC-1 range. He left in 2007, and since 2008, Carlo Rivetti (b. 1956) has been the brand’s president and creative director, collaborating with a team of designers to oversee the Stone Island design process. Between 2011 and 2021, Joshua Bullen (b. 1988) served as head designer. The company’s more experimental Shadow Project range was launched in 2008, and originally designed by Acronym’s Errolson Hugh (b. 1971) and Michaela Sachenbacher. Aitor Throup (b. 1980) collaborated with Stone Island on a standalone project in 2008, designing the Modular Anatomy jacket for Autumn Winter 2008 and a capsule collection of Articulated Anatomy for Spring Summer 2009. In 2016, the Prototype Research Series was launched, which features 100 limited-edition garments highlighting new advances in fabrication or construction that are not yet fully industrialized.

The financial history of the company is complicated. In 1981 Trabaldo Togna Holding SpA (an Italian fabric manufacturer) acquired 50 per cent of C.P. Company SpA from Raimondo Cattabriga. In 1983, Massimo Osti sold the remaining 50 per cent of the company to San Benedetto del Tronto–based Italiana Manifatture. Gruppo Finanziario Tessile (GFT) acquired the shares of Italiana Manifatture and Trabaldo Togna Holding SpA in 1983, achieving 100 per cent ownership of the company. Carlo Rivetti left GFT in 1992, founding Sportswear Company SpA with his sister Cristina Rivetti. In 1993, Sportswear Company SpA acquired the Stone Island, Boneville and C.P. Company brands. Sportswear Company SpA (SPW), the brand’s parent company, sold a 30 per cent minority stake to Singapore-based investment firm Temasek in 2017 to fund the brand’s international expansion. In 2010 SPW sold C.P. Company to focus on developing the Stone Island brand and in 2020 it was announced that Moncler SpA would acquire Stone Island, including the 30 per cent owned by Temasek. The agreement was signed between Moncler and Rivetex Srl, a company owned by Carlo Rivetti, who owns 50.1 per cent of Sportswear Company, and other SPW shareholders, including the Rivetti family, who own 19.9 per cent of SPW. The agreement valued Stone Island at €1.15 billion.
Sources: Daniela Facchinato, Ideas from Massimo Osti (Bologna: Damiani, 2012); WWD.