NORDIC'S INSIGHT TO STONE ISLAND

Newcomers to the brand are often surprised to learn that Stone Island hails from Italy due to its name and its prevalence within the UK. But Stoney first came into being in Bologna, Italy in 1982 lead by Massimo Osti, the man behind CP Company. Osti’s roots lay in industrial design, and Stoney actually started as a series of 7 military inspired jackets made from a fabric called “Tela Stella’ – a cloth with a different colour on each side that had been developed for transport truck tarpaulins. Unable to place this experiment within the existing CP line, Stone Island was born - now infamous for its stripped-back aesthetic, which focused on technical fabrics and functionality, topped off with the unmistakably iconic compass logo patch. This rings true for our founder Ameli: “What I love with Stone Island is the quality of the garments. The technology and the fabrics they used was unheard off when they launched. That to me makes a brand”

At its core Stoney represents innovation, seen in its eccentric fabrics and technological treatment of design, however it has also become synonymous with a culture embedded in London, England & across the UK. It’s impossible to speak about the brand without referencing its prevalence in terrace culture. British football fans would follow their teams, picking up pieces and creating the now renowned style that we know and love. “Stone Island takes me back to late 90s early 2000 when football stadiums where filled with the one and only Stone Island! That is English culture for me.” The brand has now reached new heights and international fame through its adoption by rappers both sides of the Atlantic – with Drake spearheading this trend in the US, but it’ll always be a classic British staple to us.  

To celebrate the style influence of Stone Island, we have selected a few Nordic Poetry best bits acquired over the years of archiving hundreds of Stoney garments that are currently available online.