Brand: Stone Island Shadow Project

Season: Fall/Winter 2021

Buy: Stone Island, HAVEN, END.

Editor's Notes: Stone Island can do warmer weather but it really excels at Fall and Winter. I mean, that's the case for most technical brands that specialize in layering pieces, but Stone Island doesn't really come to play when it comes to cooler climes. Doubly so for ts experimental Shadow Project imprint, which is shifting stylistic gears a bit for FW21.

Adventurousness is baked into the DNA of Stone Island Shadow Project. ACRONYM founder Errolson Hugh's attachment ensures a never-ending exploration of new tech but Shadow Project innovates in realms beyond more design, as evidenced by its latest inviting imagery.

"The idea is that the line exists because of Stone Island, so it’s a shadow of the brand, but with its own life," Carlo Rivetti explained to Highsnobiety. "We also decided that with Shadow Project... we will simply experiment. This will be our Formula 1."

No New Balance collab here (that's for mainline Stoney), but there is a refined presentation that's more intimate and subdued than prior Shadow Project outings. The lookbook imagery is pared back, de-emphasizing high-tech wizardry for cozy textures — fleecy cardigans, micro-rib knit basics, zippered sweaters, fuzzy outerwear — and saturated colors like rich oranges and bright blues.

Relaxed cuts pervade the affair — nothing too slouchy, of course, but there are some relaxed jackets that encourage beefier layering and wider trousers that are easily cuffable. The whole lineup is less in-your-face about the technical angle, which is still there but in a less aggro presentation.

This is only chapter one of the Shadow Project FW21 lineup, though, so who knows what else is in store?