Recently, leading Italian menswear label Stone Island debuted their newest innovation within garment and fabric technology, at Milan Design Week.
The Stone Island Prototype Research_Series is a collection of limited-edition garments, using techniques that the brand has discovered throughout their experimentation during their specialised research programme. All of these techniques are, for now, quite exclusive to the brand and are not used on an industrial scale. The conceptual series is now in its fifth iteration, sporting the exploration of copper nanotechnology seen within pieces such as a cotton Raso trench coat.
Milan Design Week is a huge event within the fashion industry calendar, posing the perfect opportunity to present the brands latest findings. As a result of the copper nanotechnology testing, Stone Island were able to emphasize the natural oxidation characteristics of the element, which created extremely unique looking finishes on the garments. These characteristics will also mean that the look of the jacket will change as it’s being worn, due to its nanometric copper layer, depending on what external conditions the garment is exposed to. The percentage of carbon dioxide in the environment, alongside the degree of humidity can determine how the copper reacts and changes its outer layer.
“This study began in 2019 with the intention of it being shown at the Milan Design Week in April 2020, which was later cancelled. When the garments were returned to us in spring 2021, their oxidized appearance was magnificent but the adhesive between the non-woven fabric and the cotton satin was unpredictably ‘gone’, ‘eaten’ by oxidation. The result did not reach the target of resistance and solidity we have. I often tell of the ‘mistakes’ that come up when daring to go beyond the known, the tested, the conventional. This is the unfiltered story of an unfinished research process, an enrichment of the company’s experience and culture. Each step has taught us important things which will be important for the future, regardless of the goal achieved” said Carlo Rivetti, the Creative Director and President of Stone Island.
The Stone Island Prototype Research_Series 05 will continue to be displayed at Milan Fashion Week until September 10th.
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