GREATEST: HERITAGE REDUX
London-based archivist Arco Maher provides an exclusive selection of vintage styles from Stone Island and C.P. Company.
I spent a large chunk of my childhood in a tiny town on the outskirts of Modena, a quiet city located in the flattest region of Italy; a place where Stone Island and C.P. Company were not considered statement pieces but rather casualwear, easily found in small boutiques scattered across the region. The two sister brands were born near Bologna, just a few kilometers away from where I grew up, the brainchild of a curious graphic designer with a knack for experimentation who revolutionized the fashion industry with his inventions. Overdyed garments, rubber wool and fabric manipulation were his daily bread. Like a chemist in a lab looking for the next scientific discovery, Massimo Osti created innovative, resilient clothing. Real product for real people.
Growing up in a football family, I spent countless weekends at stadiums around the country; that’s where I first saw these brands contextualized in the world of sports. In Italy, the Ultras took after the British hooligans, using Stone Island and C.P. Company to protect themselves from the harsh conditions of winter, and to conceal themselves in the wake of their often illicit activity before, during and after each match. Then, it was the turn of rap stars. First came grime, with Skepta and his Boy Better Know crew, followed by Drake. It didn’t hurt that Supreme started to collaborate seasonally with Stone Island beginning in 2014. Even the Swoosh’s short-lived NikeLab got in on the action with a series of co-designed Windrunners. Osti’s radical creations were finally on top.
Around this time, certain girls—myself included—started stealing jackets from their boyfriend’s closets and pairing them with tailored trousers and A-line dresses to create effortlessly casual outfits; the precursors of the GORP-girl aesthetic. Today, it’s as common to see the signature Stone Island badge adorn the arm of women, and rightfully so. Long left out of the streetwear conversation, it’s women who are pushing the style subgenre into bold new directions, bringing fresh perspectives to historic brands.
- Naomi Accardi
This feature originally appeared in GREATEST ISSUE 06. Discover the full magazine at select stockists.