Stone Island has a long and compelling history, both because of its achievements in innovating exquisite technical fabrics and because of the evolution of its place in fashion history.
In conjunction with the 2024 edition of Frieze Los Angeles, both new and old Stone Island devotees will soon be able to explore an archival exhibition of its work since the brand was founded by legendary designer Massimo Osti in 1982.
Specifically, Stone Island’s Selected Works ‘982-‘024 will be shown at Buttercup Studios in Culver City from February 29 until March 3 while the Frieze art fair takes place in Santa Monica.
In addition to activation spaces that invite guests to interact and reflect on Stone Island’s tangible achievements, there will be an accompanying large exhibition of nearly four-dozen archival Stone Island pieces that best illustrate the brand’s history. And that's merely the beginning.
Also at Stone Island's Frieze LA exhibit, witness installations dedicated specifically to the brand's signature reflective jackets and metal shell jackets — once favored by British kids obsessed with football culture, the high-function outerwear is now a wearable piece of fashion history.
The sheer amount of pieces that will be on display, according to a statement, promises a literal walk through Stone Island’s memory lane while doubling down on the facts behind the brand.
The Stone Island activations also include a display of its collabs with the likes of Supreme and Nike over the years, and films documenting the label’s relationship with youth culture.
Guests will also get to see some rare pieces created during the Stone Island Shadow Project years from 2008 to 2021 when it partnered with ACRONYM founder Errolson Hugh on collections and conducted research into fabrics
This is the first time that Hugh's Shadow Project legacy will be given the lovingly in-depth retrospective it's long deserved.
With all of the exhibitions, a program of up-and-coming DJs and speakers throughout the run of the exhibit, plus a gift and book shop (who doesn’t love a good museum-style gift shop?), it'd be almost crazy not to take advantage of the exhibit's free admission. Yes! It's free, with advance registration on Stone Island's website.
Because no one need pay anything to experience a necessary lesson: Stone Island makes great clothes and that its great clothes are steeped in research and science.
