Massimo Osti
Stone Island was founded in 1982 in Ravarino, Italy
Over a decade before Massimo Osti founded the Italian fashion brand Stone Island, the Italian designer was busy launching another label called Chester Perry, which would become the C.P. Company in 1978. Like Stone Island, this brand’s claim to fame was also for a technical achievement—specifically the invention of dyeing garments made from multiple fabric and fiber types. A decade after this 1973 invention, Osti would revolutionize the garment industry once again with the invention of Tela Stella fabric.
The subculture of rowdy footballers who caused a ruckus on British football terraces began in ‘80s England, but it wasn’t until the ‘90s that Stone Island weaved its way into that world of casual dress and fist fights. Particularly, it was the 1992 European Championships in Sweden that seemed to give the brand its breakout moment when England fans looted a clothing outlet called Genius that was stocked with Stone Island merch.
Since the introduction of Tela Stella, Stone Island has become famous for its innovative fabrics. Among the highlights of their experiments (including a jacket made of stainless steel Teflon fibers) is the famed Ice jacket. Originally made from polyester and coated with liquid crystals in 1988, the jacket changes colors based on temperature and was upgraded in 2010 with a new, cutting-edge pigment.
Check our Highsnobiety Shop for some of Stone Island’s best items.