We caught up with the man front and centre of it all Carlo Rivetti, President of Stone Island, who has played a significant role in the success and development of the company.
What were your thoughts when walking around the exhibition in LA this week and seeing it come together in person?
Carlo Rivetti — Entering the exhibition fills me with pride. Every piece I encounter holds significance in relation to our research and the memories from the initial 42 years.
How do you think this exhibition contributes to the broader understanding and appreciation of Stone Island's product and History?
CR — In the past few days, I observed numerous visitors entering the exhibition, surprised at the product innovations that were on display. I was very delighted that all the guests were all quite curious, taking the time to read captions carefully and posing additional questions to our staff about the pieces. My feeling is that visitors have become fascinated by our history and now possess more insights to understand and appreciate Stone Island.
What significance does this exhibition hold to you and Stone Island?
CR — The exhibition makes me very proud and emotional. It is a selection among more than 30.000 garments of our archive and to be able to show them in North America is an important achievement to me.
Were there any specific pieces from the 42 archival items that stood out to you, and if so, why?
CR — It is always hard to choose! I can tell you two pieces that are opposite and still represent the brand well:
The Hand-Painted Camouflage jacket undergoes an artisanal process inspired by military techniques aiming to replicate their uniforms. The field jacket is initially garment-dyed in black, then part of the jacket is corroded, and ultimately, it is meticulously hand-painted, making each piece unique.
While the Pure Metal Shell jacket was such an innovative feat in technology. We conducted extensive research on metals to create this beautiful and remarkable jacket, showcased at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In your opinion, what distinguishes Stone Island's approach to fashion and design, as showcased in the exhibition?
CR — It's the ongoing and thorough investigation into the transformation and evolution of fibers and fabrics. Our exclusive ability to intervene on the finished garment through continuous dyeing experiments is a key aspect. This approach has unveiled materials and production techniques previously unused in the clothing industry, resulting in Stone Island developing over 60,000 unique dye recipes.
Before our time was up on the west coast and following our chat with Carlo, we talked to Stone Island Archivist and Creative Consultant Arco Maher to get his take on such a big moment.
Can you share your initial reactions upon learning about Stone Island's first-ever major US archival exhibition and it being at Frieze Los Angeles?
Arco Maher — A long time coming! Pure excitement and just a momentous occasion for Stone Island. It's the perfect opportunity for the US audience to connect with Stone on a deeper level to appreciate how impressive the archive is and learn about the extensive research and innovation behind the brand. The partnership with Frieze speaks volumes to how Stone pieces can be viewed as wearable art.
As a dedicated Stone Island collector, what significance does this exhibition hold for you personally?
AM — The chronological walk through of Stone Island pieces was super cool to see with 42 archival pieces displayed at the opening section; an iconic piece from each year the brand has been in existence. Many of the jackets displayed crossover with pieces in my own archive collection… but it does pain me to admit I am missing a handful of special items so there was a sense of envy too! Witnessing all these remarkable creations alongside one another is a real moment to cherish.
Were there any specific pieces from the 42 archival items that stood out to you, and if so, why?
AM — The SS 1988 Pink Raso Gommato Black Cover jacket; commonly referred to as the “Helicopter Visor” Jacket is a masterpiece. It features a removable visor that folds away into the collar reminiscent of military dust goggles. Supreme referenced this model in the 2014 collaboration with Stone labelling it the “Nero” jacket - this piece also featured in the exhibition with both pieces being incredibly sought after.
I always love seeing the Paul Harvey designed AW 2000 Kevlar Jacket… a material no one had previously been able to garment dye but as always Stone Island cracked the code and completed the challenge. As Andrea Moro (head of product design at SI) says, as soon as there’s an impossible task (Carlo Rivetti's blue eyes sparkle) the mission is to make it possible.
How do you think this exhibition contributes to the broader understanding and appreciation of Stone Island's product and history?
AM — The LAB LIFE division in this exhibition was a perfect tool for storytelling to highlight both the design aspect of Stone Island but most importantly speak to the worldwide community that has adopted the brand as their own. My good friend Avi Gold’s Better Gift Shop space, the masterpiece film directed by Jeremy Elkin’s and the SS2024 campaign shots highlighted how community is really at the heart of Stone Island. It’s something that’s engrained in UK/EU history through many subcultures over years but this exhibition educated an exciting new wave of Stone Island devotees from the Americas.
Were there any surprises or discoveries for you during the exhibition, considering your extensive knowledge of Stone Island's collections?
AM — My Stone Island knowledge is pretty encyclopedic so no suprises, although it was incredible to see the Shadow Project collection displayed in its entirety from 2008 through to 2021; designed by Errolson Hugh. There was actually a number of pieces I had completely forgotten about! I think however deep your knowledge of the brand runs; it’s difficult to leave the exhibition space without feeling very inspired.
In your opinion, what distinguishes Stone Island's approach to fashion and design, as showcased in the exhibition?
AM — An appetite for research, curiosity and a certain philosophy is the driving force behind Stone Island design. We saw countless examples of archive pieces where a material was introduced that the fashion world had never seen before. Most notably the Monofilament mesh fabric; typically seen in the world of water filtering systems or the Tela Stella textile with its original use being a tarpaulin used on the top of military trucks. It’s really apparent after experiencing the pieces in the exhibition that it’s very hard to pigeonhole Stone Island or compare it to other brands as it’s very much exists in its lane!
Any big takeaways from your time at Frieze this week?
AM — Henry Taylor, Javier Ramirez & James Perkins works were all big standouts to me! And away from Frieze; the Luna Luna exhibition was a highlight!
Dusty, earth tones with subtle touches of dirtied pink and rustic oranges through the collection drawn from classic Western films give that good old Americana flavor that GUESS USA does so well. There's also more of that worn-out leather and distressed denims that keep us coming back for that desired, lived-in feel. Complimenting design codes are carried over to this season's accessories, the main character being the Claudia bag, featuring stud embellishments and treated to appear rusted. Our favorites are the soft shell cowboy boots and new square toe biker boots that give the sense of true cross-country traversal.
Russell wanted to capture "something unattainable and just out of reach," hence the Splash reference, in which a man is infatuated with a woman who's secretly a mermaid. Eli captures the campaign's protagonists submerged in water (no tail showing just yet) donning standout pieces from the collection, which somehow creates those same emotions of an unobtainable obsession.
SS24 is available at Slam Jam and GUESS USA as of February 29th.
