OVERVIEW

Important challenges also faced thanks to the commitment of the creative team, who managed to transfer its vision into the product, with passion and enthusiasm, pushing its research efforts on uncharted territories. 

The value chain – when it comes to the selection of ancillary materials and components, as well as to manufacture and dyeing – is managed under the strict supervision of Company technicians at established partners that are aligned with the Company’s ethical and regulatory codes.

Fabrics and yarns are supplied by the best Italian and foreign companies, in particular from Japan and Korea.

Manufacturing is in Italy, in the Mediterranean basin and in the Far East, at established third-party companies trained in the know-how needed to satisfy the brand’s standards of quality and sustainability.

In line with the Group’s strategy aimed at the integrated development of its distribution channels, Stone Island has begun a path that will lead the brand to a greater control of distribution on international markets, through a progressive direct management of the markets currently managed by distributors and through the expansion of the DTC channel. Indeed, after the internalization of the management of the Korean and of Japanese markets as well as internalization of DTC business in UK in 2022, at the end of 2023 Stone Island started the process to take full control of the brand distribution in the Chinese market, which will be completed over the first months of 2024. 

At the same time, the Company is enhancing its control and doors’ selection in the wholesale segment, a channel of strategic importance for Stone Island, with the aim of further elevating the positioning of the brand itself.

In 2023 the wholesale channel accounted for 58% of revenues while the remaining 42% was generated by directly managed stores and the online channel. As of 31 December 2023, the network of mono-brand Stone Island stores was composed of 15 wholesale stores and 81 retail stores, +9 units compared to 31 December 2022. Some of the most important stores opened and/or converted to DOS in the year include Stockholm and Chengdu Swire, in addition to some important relocations/expansions including Munich and Amsterdam Bijenkorf. 

The product remains at the centre not only of marketing activities but also of installations, special projects in flagship stores and pop-ups with clients of international importance.

Both its website and its social media platforms reflect the clean and industrial aesthetics of Stone Island.

The social media of reference is Instagram, flanked by the main platforms: Facebook, X (Twitter), Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and Vimeo, in addition to Chinese social media: WeChat, Weibo and Little Red Book.

Stone Island has a very active fan base that interacts intensely with the official account and that promotes the brand through many spontaneous fan-based groups on social networks.

Over time Stone Island got closer to the music world, an important brand’s communication tool, with STONE ISLAND PRESENTS, a project for international music events featuring since 2015 high profile talents from the electronic music scene and more, and with STONE ISLAND SOUND, founded in 2020, a project that supports contemporary music production with the aim of promoting local communities while building an ideal world sound map.

In 2023, Stone Island announced a global multi-year partnership with Frieze, a leading international contemporary art and culture platform. Commencing at Frieze London in October 2023, Stone Island became the Official Partner of Focus, the section dedicated to galleries of younger talents, and of Frieze 91, the global membership program that provides access to the communities and art-shaping contemporary culture.