CITYist

Stone Island 30: an exhibition of history, research, and experimentation is a new exhibit in Florence which celebrates the history of the Stone Island brand from 1982 to today. The brand, which belongs to Sportswear Company and is headed by Carlo Rivetti, is retracing its history of dedication to textile research and experimentation. Hosted by Fondazione Pitti Discovery at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence, the exhibit is divided into eight areas dedicated to themes explored by Stone Island in the past thirty years.

The exhibit tells the story of the treatment of fabrics as finished garments, tracing history from the workshops of Renaissance craftsmen to modern times, celebrating the idea of being “Made in Italy.” It looks at treatments like fabric coatings and plating as well as the study of the reflection of light and thermo-sensitive fabrics, moving on to dyeing techniques and the use of non-traditional materials like those originating in aviation of biomedical industries.

Stone Island is also presenting a book at the exhibit, titled “Archivio 982-012,” which contains more than 300 iconographic garment images from the archives of the brand. The exhibition will be open to the public with free admission from June 20th to July 7th.