Brand History

BIOGRAPHY & BRAND PHILOSOPHY

Stone Island owes continuous success to research and innovation both in the construction and details of the finished garments and in exclusive materials developed through a tight co-operation with specific fabric producers.

Since the label was born in 1981 the aim of Sportswear Company has always designed an innovative clothing line, with specific interest in the functionality of a garment.

Sportswear Company has invested in technology and research. It’s experimental dyeing and printing facilities have been the hub of much research within the possibilities of high quality garment dyeing in order to achieve, through this technique, unique colourings (up to 6 colours on one single garment) and finishes.

The brand has produced more than 40,000 garments taking inspiration from military uniforms and work wear. These capabilities make Sportswear Company a unique ‘Laboratory Company’ and Stone Island a label that is recognised worldwide to be on the cutting edge of men’s wear design.

COMPANY HISTORY

Sportswear Company is hugely famous within the Italian casual wear market. The company started to manufacture in 1974 under the name “Chester Perry”. At the end of the Seventies it became C.P. Company and growth followed accompanied by clear-cut success: that of Boneville and Stone Island joined the historic label.

Towards the mid-Eighties the company was taken over by Rabaldo Togna and GFT, with the arrival of Carlo Rivetti as Managing Director in 1989, the sportswear activity of GFT got underway with the name of Sportswear Company.

In 1993, following the selling off policy adopted by GFT, Sportswear Company was taken over entirely by Rivetex, the financial company held by Cristina Rivetti and her brother Carlo, with Carlo Rivetti as president.

The present portfolio of collections that Sportswear Company are manufacturing and developing: C.P. Company, Stone Island, Stone Island Juniors, C.P. Company Donna, C.P. Company Under Sixteen and Stone Island Juniors.


THE DESIGNER - GIONATA MALAGODI

Gionata Malagodi is back designing for Stone Island.

Italian born, just a few kilometres from the company’s headquarters, Gionata, from ‘94 to '98, has been one of the two designers working extensively in the studio of Massimo Osti, the founder of Stone Island.

“To start designing Stone Island again is a dream, in no other company beside Sportswear Company there is such an aim and endeavour for research and for problem solving design and fabric issues. I am coming back with the deepest respect for the history of the label and for the persons that in these years carried out its extraordinary evolution”.
Gionata Malagodi