How did Stone Island become one of the most iconic brands on the planet? Well, the comprehensive answer to that question could span hundreds of pages. But a large part of it comes down to Massimo Osti’s endless curiosity.
Osti was a man who was not afraid of experimentation. Like many of the world’s great designers, he followed his nose when it came to making things. One day he could be designing eyewear; the next, he could be mixing chemicals to try and achieve heat-reactive properties. The day after that, he was just as likely to be spotted on a sailboat as he was in the studio.
Osti’s curiosity would lead him down many different avenues, twists and turns. C.P. Company was originally known as Chester Perry Company. Before that, it was called Chomp Chomp. And when Osti’s wild curiosity led C.P. Company’s product offering to become too eclectic, he started a new label to house the more experimental designs – Stone Island.
Then, even within Stone Island, Osti was forced to separate and divide things to avoid the collection becoming too unpredictable, giving birth to a wealth of subdivisions. And while some were formed to make the customer’s life easier, others were formed simply because Osti’s curiosity told him to do so.
Here is the comprehensive guide to all the Stone Island subdivisions that have surfaced throughout the years.
Stone Island Denims (2001 – 2009)
Experimental graphics, streetwear influence and more than its fair share of questionable designs – Stone Island Denims was introduced by Paul Harvey in the early 2000s, and ran for around nine years before being discontinued in 2009, coinciding with Harvey’s departure from Stone Island.
In many ways, the collection felt like a continuation of the curiosity that Massimo Osti had instilled in the brand. Harvey was similarly unafraid to experiment, and Denims became a playground for this approach, with a particular focus on dyeing, streetwear and unconventional graphics. T
The collection’s appearance was irrefutably early ’00s. Today, the line is often overlooked, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find some of the most intriguing denim pieces Stone Island has ever produced.
Perhaps more than anything, Stone Island Denims is a reminder that Osti’s curiosity didn’t disappear when he left the brand. It simply found a new custodian in Paul Harvey.
Stone Island Marina (1983 – Present)
Bright colours, stripes and badges turned sideways, Stone Island Marina was Osti’s conduit for everything nautical. The line that can be traced back to the brand’s roots in the 1980s and ’90s, before being reintroduced in 2013. Since then, it has become a mainstay of the Spring/Summer collections, and, as of 2023, the Autumn/Winter collections too.
For Massimo Osti, the sea was more than an influence. It was one of his great loves, with sailing in particular forming a large part of his life and curiosity. Marina provided a natural platform for him to channel those nautical influences into Stone Island, resulting in a collection that often felt distinctly closer to the water than the brand’s mainline offering.
Stripes became one of the line’s most recognisable details, frequently appearing around the cuffs of garments, while the colour palette was noticeably brighter and lighter than that of mainline Stone Island. Pastel tones, soft blues and other colours associated with the beach and the sea helped give Marina its unmistakably summery character.
In many ways, Marina is one of the clearest examples of Osti turning something personal into something tangible. His fascination with sailing and the sea was translated into colour, pattern and detail, creating a line that has retained its place within Stone Island decades after those original nautical influences first appeared.
Stone Island Shadow Project (2008 – 2023)
Futuristic, otherworldly and at times borderline unwearable, Stone Island Shadow Project was introduced in 2008, and was born from a desire to push the brand’s experimentation further than the mainline would allow. Designed by Errolson Hugh, the creative force behind ACRONYM, the line leaned heavily into technical clothing, futuristic silhouettes and an almost obsessive focus on function.
Lightweight, highly technical fabrics became a defining characteristic of Shadow Project, while the shapes themselves were often more radical and unconventional than anything appearing in the main collection. It felt, in many ways, like a planet where Stone Island could explore the ideas that were simply too crazy for the mainline.
Even the smallest details reflected this approach. The compass badge was stripped back and blacked out, while the colour palettes were often restrained, allowing the construction, fabric and functionality of the garments to take centre stage.
Shadow Project was never an inexpensive proposition, but for those willing to pay the price, it produced some of the most technically impressive and memorable pieces in Stone Island’s history. Garments such as the Scarabeo Utility Anorak have since become icons in their own right, cementing the line’s place in the brand’s history.
Discontinued in mid-2023 after 15 years, Shadow Project continues to be held in particularly high regard by Stone Island collectors.
Stone Island Stellina (2023 – Present)
Restrained, outdoorsy and understated, Stone Island Stellina is one of the more intriguing subdivisions in the brand’s history, built around the idea of stripping things back and letting the materials do the talking. First appearing in the late 2010s, the collection took Stone Island’s familiar technical approach and wrapped it in a much cleaner, more minimalist design language.
The name Stellina translates from Italian as “little star”, a reference to the small star motif used in place of the brand’s iconic compass badge. The branding was deliberately subtle, with the star typically appearing tone-on-tone, while black, navy and olive became the dominant colours.
Function was still very much at the heart of the collection. Water-repellent, windproof and lightweight technical fabrics were paired with ergonomic cuts, concealed pockets and other functional details. The result was something that sat somewhere between technical outerwear and understated everyday clothing.
Stellina never had the visual impact of some of Stone Island’s more experimental subdivisions, but that was largely the point. It offered a quieter interpretation of the brand’s obsession with fabric and function – proving that Stone Island didn’t always need a compass badge to make a statement.
Stone Island Ghost (2011 – Present)
Concealed, covert and criminally underrated, Stone Island Ghost was introduced in 2011 and took one of the brand’s most familiar ideas – camouflage – and flipped it on its head. Camouflage had long intrigued Massimo Osti, and that fascination was passed down through the generations of designers that followed him. But rather than covering the garments in traditional camo patterns, Ghost took a much quieter approach.
The idea was simple: make everything disappear. Garments were produced in a single, monochromatic colour, with even the iconic compass badges designed to match the face fabric. Instead of standing out, the badge blends into the garment, creating a look that is far more discreet than mainline Stone Island.
The effect is subtle but unmistakably Stone Island. Technical fabrics and familiar construction remain, but the usual visual cues are stripped back, allowing the materials and silhouettes to speak for themselves.
In many ways, Ghost is camouflage without the camouflage. It takes the principle of going unnoticed and applies it to the entire garment – creating one of Stone Island’s most understated and recognisable subdivisions in the process.
Shop Stone Island Ghost and Stone Island Mainline at SEVENSTORE
