Stone Island: An Enduring Legacy of Textile Innovation and Cultural Relevance
Written by Ali George Hinkins
Stone Island was established in 1982 by Massimo Osti after discovering a single piece of fabric: a durable military-grade truck tarpaulin, called Tella Stella. This provided the opportunity and means to experiment with functional textiles, driving innovation and technical apparel research beyond what anyone had done before in a fashion context. Where C.P. Company, originally Chester Perry, laid the framework that Stone Island would spring from, they quickly differentiated themselves from one another, even if they were started by the same brilliant mind: Massimo Osti.
It was in the years following the success of C.P. Company that Massimo Osti sought space to explore the applications and possibilities of industrial textile materials, such as rubberised cotton canvas and thermosensitive fabrics - two materials that remain cornerstones of Stone Island’s arsenal. From here, the original collection was a small capsule of just seven jackets, designed as a test to see whether these unconventional fabrics could be turned into garments and what customers would think. 40-some years later, I think we have our answer.
Its legacy extends beyond its late founder, Massimo Osti, who passed away in 2005, to a global icon defined by its association with youth subcultures, material innovation, and a simple compass badge. The Italian sportswear brand is worn everywhere by everyone, from kids in Manchester and football casuals on the terraces to the Paninaro youth in the 1980s and Canadian rappers in the 2010s. Stone Island is one of the rare labels transcending the boundaries of fashion into the wider cultural zeitgeist. Whether purists like this or not, it’s a fact and a testament to its reputation and enduring legacy.
Aside from its popularity in spheres beyond fashion, Stone Island has stood as a symbol of innovation and heritage for over 40 years, committed to technical garments and pushing the proverbial ‘design envelope’ to new heights. From revolutionising garment dyeing to using thermosensitive fabrics, for example, these are just SOME of the brand’s hallmark innovations, and they changed the way brands, fabric mills, and designers viewed materials and their applications. Before, no one had considered making a jacket from a fabric that responded to temperature, because why would they? But Osti never did anything by the book.
While Massimo Osti hasn’t been involved since his passing, Stone Island and its current design team are still flying the flag and building the brand in his absence. It feels as if Stone Island is finding its footing again, with renewed direction across the board, from communications and visual identity to design language. Importantly, it feels like innovation is on the rise. Not just a by-product, but considered from the outset. Silhouettes have become more interesting, Stellina and Marina are receiving more investment internally and buzz
After all this time, Stone Island and the legacy Massimo Osti built for it and his other labels sit at the cornerstone of technical garment innovation. Yes, it may be marketed differently now compared to 10, 20, or 30 years ago, but it hasn’t influenced the way the brand continues to innovate in a rapidly changing industry. From football hooliganism to British MCs, Drake co-signs, and collaborations with Supreme, Stone Island now occupies a space far removed from its origins, yet one it takes in its stride without losing its core identity.
This Thing of Ours carries Stone Island’s mainline collection, as well as its Marina and Stellina sub-lines - covering a mix of outerwear, sweatshirts, shorts, cargo trousers, overshirts, and more.
Available now from its online store and Manchester store.
Address: 9a Chapel Walks, Manchester M2 1AE
