Constant Innovation

Stone Island is a pioneer of textile and functional innovation, starting with its iconic TELA STELLA fabric, which drew immediate attention for the way it stood out when it was introduced by Massimo Osti, the brand’s founder, in 1982. Durable, utilitarian, and innovative, it quickly secured Stone Island’s reputation as the leader in casual menswear. That spirit of relentless experimentation in combining form and function has been Stone Island’s hallmark ever since. 

One technique that cemented Stone Island’s image as an innovator was garment dyeing. Osti was fascinated with the technique of dyeing an entire garment after its construction, instead of using already dyed fabric. The slight gradations of colour, but also the uniformity of the hue that garment dyeing allowed, made Stone Island’s garments stand out among others. Garment dyeing remains a hallmark of Stone Island’s design ethos.  

TELA STELLA broke boundaries of materiality in clothing and using materials that are not meant for garment production has become one of Stone Island’s signatures. PURE METAL SHELL, for example, was used for lining airplanes, and KEVLAR® for bulletproof vests. These materials were deemed undyeable by their manufacturers, until Stone Island made them so through proprietary dyeing techniques. Other iconic Stone Island materials include RASO GAMMATO, the THERMOSENSITIVE ICE JACKET, and NYLON METAL, among others.  

At Stone Island, material and functional research is pushed to the point of obsession. The question to be answered is not “why,” but “why not?”. From the long-running Shadow Project to the Prototype Research_Series, we have dedicated entire lines to boundary-pushing design. The special black and white badge graces the garments that represent the pinnacle in this commitment to pioneering material research, signalling our devotion to innovation in a subtle but meaningful way.