There are days when my brain is so oversaturated with ideas and thoughts that I have a hard time picking which topic I should settle on and pontificate about.
Sometimes the jam is so dense that I inevitably end up self-inducing a nasty writer’s block which then consequently triggers a series of useless fictional mental walls that, in the moment, just feel too hard to tear down.
Normally when this happens, in hopes to cleanse my mind, I drop the pen and lend myself to less demanding activities like washing the dishes, folding laundry, going for a coffee or any other action that doesn’t require excessive thinking–often it’s a successful technique, in other instances I just can’t seem to dig myself out of the hole. This week it was the latter.
I have been so overwhelmed by this abundant stream of consciousness that each time I sat down with the intention to deliver a dissertation worth reading, the cycle started all over and I ended up frantically erasing everything I had written just to find myself at the starting point–an imminent feeling of failure hovering over my head. Giving up altogether would have been easier, but it is something I refuse to do. Resilience is a great quality and sticking through made up problems like the writer’s block is what is going to eventually allow me to release outstanding literature.
I am pretty sure that binge watching DAHMER over the weekend played a role in sticking me deeper into the dark hole as the absurdity of that story ate up most of my brain cells and all I could focus on was how oblivious people can be at times.
To circumnavigate the issue, I decided to resort to one of my favorite gimmicks for when I have nothing ready, or good enough: sharing first drafts or pieces that were published in print and my avid readers couldn’t get their hands on. Please forgive me, I promise I will be back with original material next week.
*Originally written for GREATEST / GR06 — then redacted into shorter form.
HERITAGE REDUX - STONE ISLAND, C.P. COMPANY AND THE FUTURE OF ARCHIVAL FASHION.
The story of C.P. Company and Stone Island is similar to many other famous apparel brands; a tale of Italian excellence, intuition and quality.
A thrilling saga made of innovative fabrics, utilitarian silhouettes and structured patterns borrowed from the Army seamlessly juxtaposed with the sturdiness of Navy garments.
Unlike others, though, these two iconic labels are distinguished by a blurry separation and lots of third party speculations.
Inherently associated with subcultural masculinity and European style codes, over the course of the past decade, the two brands have rapidly gained success overseas thanks to international rap stars who intrepidly assimilated cues from British street style into their wardrobes.
Both born from the ingenious mind of Massimo Osti, a curious graphic designer from Bologna with a kink for experimentation, C.P. Company and Stone Island officially diverged from each other in the 1990’s–after revolutionizing the clothing industry through the invention of garment dyeing and various other innovative techniques such as Rubber Flax and Rubber Wool, just to name a few.
Without overturning its original values yet adopting an expansionist corporate mentality, Osti’s long time collaborator Carlo Rivetti took over Stone Island and turned it into a successful multi-million dollar business with a loyal fanbase in North America.
C.P. Company, on the contrary, continued to focus on impeccable manufacturing, fabric manipulation and took a detectable archival approach, succeeding both in keeping its loyal customers and reinforcing its roots on European soil.
Intrinsically intertwined by indestructible materials, resilient textiles and iconic silhouettes, the estranged sister brands have graduated from being strictly relegated to the wardrobes of hardcore hooligans and provincial Italian husbands to become highly covetable pieces curated by meticulous collectors such as London-based Arco Maher.
Thanks to these archives, the pool of customers expanded and evolved into a unisex audience combined by a mutual love for obscure clothing, vintage fits and cult pieces.
Adventurous girls started stealing rare jackets from their boyfriend’s closets and smoothing out the roughness of the rubber coated outerwear by pairing it with tailored trousers and a-line dresses, creating effortlessly casual outfits.
Through these fashion archeologists, C.P. company and Stone Island acquired new energy; a renaissance fuelled by social media reshares, romantic retro imagery and serendipitous testimonials– democratizing the access to these exclusive brands.
The signature arm badge of Stone Island resurfaced as a trading currency and C.P’s trademark goggle hood swiftly followed, popping up on the covers of the coolest magazines worn by appraised music heroes, football stars and streetwear first ladies.
The vintage loose fit typical of the era when these garments were designed and manufactured adapted perfectly to the contemporary androginous attitudes of modern fashion aficionados, overturning Carlo Rivetti’s original quest to introduce standardized sizing onto the Italian market.
The versatility of the clothing made it easy to be transversally worn and one size fits all.
Nowadays C.P. Company and Stone Island are far from exclusive. They are hip and universally sought after.
Their heat-reactive outer shells can be seen on the bodies of conservative purists and fast-fashion fanatics alike.
The iconicity of both brands has extended well beyond the terraces at the stadium; they have intersected with a new wave of adored companies, with which they share a tight cult following.
Functional yet stylish, both of Osti’s creations are not a boys club anymore. They are for whoever has the patience to scavenge the internet or local markets for a rare piece.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLARK FRANKLYN
ARCHIVIST: ARCO MAHER
STYLING: FLORENCE ARNOLD
MAKEUP: ERIN GREEN
HAIR: TOMOMI ROPPONGI
PHOTO ASSISTANTS: RORY COLE, ROB PALMER
STYLING ASSISTANT: ANTONI JANKOWSKI
MODEL: TARA HALLIWELL
ALL STONE ISLAND AND C.P. COMPANY PIECES COURTESY OF ARCO MAHER