20/09/2012

Stone Island Presents Archivio ’982 – ’012

Stone Island Presents Archivio ’982 – ’012

Over the past 30 years Stone Island has built up an immense archive of garments: 20 000 pieces to be more exact. After the preview in Florence earlier this year, the brand is tonight hosting an event in their Milano store to present Archivio ’982 – ’012 – a book containing 300 images of their iconic sportswear and three decades of skills and know-how.


In June The Blogazine had the honour of meeting Carlo Rivetti, the creative director, CEO and strong entrepreneur behind Stone Island. At that moment the discussion was about Stone Island 30, a fantastic exhibition that we in many ways see as the ‘live version’ of the book. Or the stone as mr Rivetti calls it. “Well, if you have seen the book you know that it’s really a stone – so heavy!” we recall him telling us with laughter.


From the introductory words by Carlo Rivetti to the in-depth descriptions next to each picture, chronologically following from 1982 to 2012, one understands how much this archive of history means for Stone Island. Archivio ’982 – ’012 is a story through images and gives the studious a lot to take in regarding brand DNA, high technological techniques, fabrics and colours, and 30 years of sophisticated sportswear collections. When turning the pages in this image archive, it is an apparel history lesson. In the same time it shows how many of the garments, standing alone or sometimes even as a complete look, seem to be sort of timeless (well okay, maybe with a few adjustments).

Someone once told us about a writer who put lead in the cover of his book to make it appear heavier and therefore more important. Stone Island has instead filled its book with a story important enough in itself, making sure it will stand out among the books on the coffee table.


Archivio ‘982 – ’012 will after tonight’s presentation in Milan also be presented in Verona, Rome and London and will be for sale in bookshops and libraries as well as from Stone Island’s flagship stores and main retailers worldwide

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Image courtesy of Stone Island

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12/07/2012

Met at Pitti 82: Carlo Rivetti of Stone Island

Met at Pitti 82: Carlo Rivetti of Stone Island

In occasion of Pitti Uomo 82, Stone Island celebrated the company’s long history of successful collections, high technological fabric research, and being a brand experimenting with techniques often foreign to the fashion world. The retrospective exhibition Stone Island 30 shows over 200 garments from 30 years of collections along with the recently published book showcasing the immense archive, for the very same occasion. While in Florence, The Blogazine met with Mr Carlo Rivetti, the CEO and owner of Stone Island.

Buonasera mr Rivetti! The exhibition is great, how do you yourself feel about the final result of it?
I’m very surprised by the general response to the exhibition. First of all, there has been an unbelievable attendance by the press but also by our customers. As well, we invited and organized a bus to bring all the people from our factories from Emilia here. Without these people, this exhibition would not exist!

The exhibition has taken us from 1982 to 2012. How has the trip been?
It’s been more of a flight than a trip! Times flies… too fast! I think this is a milestone, not only in our history but also in the evolution of the man over the past years.

And what comes next?
Well, first of all we need to file the exhibition into our archive. As you can understand, we are very fond of all historical aspects and we need this as a memory for the future! I believe, well, we believe in the Internet a lot, and in all the new types of media – the Internet is like an elephant, hahaha, it doesn’t forget anything! Hopefully the effect of the exhibition will live on forever, in some way. Other than that, we will start working on a mobile application in the near future.


Is there anything in your archive that you can see working as well in the future?
It’s interesting that you ask. Yesterday I was in our showroom in Milan, and it is amazing to see how the Tela Stella, our initial material, has been under constant evolution all this time. And now, for the S/S 2014 collection we’re taking it aboard and transforming it into something new. I have been told many times that if you would change the features of our first original collection just a little bit, it would be very contemporary. So it’s really an interesting mix between the past and the future that stands before us.

How does it come that Stone Island is so devoted to the area of innovation?
Innovation is the DNA in my company, and you know; a company is built by people. My people have their DNA in the field of research and developing techniques, they keep on pushing for innovation all the time – it’s fantastic!

Your strength often lies in the fabrics, the technical research and the functionality. How do you see the balance between sportswear and fashion?
I don’t recognize myself in the fashion business, I see myself much closer to industrial design. Stone Island doesn’t do shows, we don’t do presentations, we don’t do fairs, we do zero. A couple of years ago a British newspaper said that Stone Island is the best kept secret in the fashion industry, and that I am very proud of. I believe in this type of communication instead, because I want to talk directly to the final customer. In these days, if you have a story to tell – and we got many stories to tell – and if you are consistent and respectful of your company’s DNA, people will be fascinated.

Thank you for giving us a little of your time Mr Rivetti!

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images courtesy of Pitti Immagine

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