Almost three decades since it first emerged from the genius mind of Massimo Osti, Left Hand has made a timely return to the fashion landscape.
Having left an indelible mark on outerwear-obsessed males, Osti departed Stone Island and C.P. Company in the mid-1990s. This afforded him an opportunity to embark on a busy period, working on a range of projects, One such project was Left Hand.
Ever the pioneer, Osti used Left Hand as a vehicle to toy with the concept of protection, using fabric that was not only functional in a day-to-day setting but would also repel radiation. Successive ranges built a clear aesthetic for the brand, and though its first chapter was short-lived, it made its mark enough to make a dwindling pool of vintage pieces much sought-after in the decades to follow.
Fast forward to 2020, a newly formed company acquired the remnants of both Left Hand and another Osti-founded brand ST95. Through a reverence for the foundations laid and a belief that both brands deserved to make new history, they set about asking what Left Hand should embody in the modern day.
With Massimo now sadly no longer with us, a new driving force was required to define Left Hand in a contemporary setting. Respected designer Christopher Raeburn was a natural choice. His commitment to responsible manufacture feels like something Osti would have been very much onboard with. Remember, he was highlighting issues that face our planet as far back as the 1980s, when his capsule collection with the Rainforest Foundation was released.
It’s a fine balance between paying respect to the strong beginnings of Left Hand while at the same time continuing to question what it represents in 2022, but through the involvement of Raeburn, Left Hand has laid down a good initial marker for what is to come next.
With Stone Island being acquired by Moncler and a handful of other brands prospering while taking clear influence from Osti’s early work, Left Hand rejoins the party, having launched its own website earlier this week.
What comes next is of course autumn/winter and the signature outerwear that cemented the reputation of the brand and its siblings. There’s also a couple of SS22 examples of this to follow soon. For now though, take a look through Left Hand’s first collection in almost 3 decades here.
