In mid-June, The Hoxton Trend had the absolute pleasure of catching up with some true Massimo Osti enthusiasts and serious collectors of his two most iconic brands, Stone Island and C.P. Company.
Our journey began in Cardiff, Wales. Coincidentally, it was the same day as a Taylor Swift concert, may the lord help us, so we made sure to tuck in our gold chains to avoid any encounters with “The Swifties.”
After navigating through the throngs of adoring fans, we arrived at Morgan Arcade, accompanied by Anthony Rivers. Anthony is a dedicated collector and a brand historian when it comes to Massimo Osti labels. He is also the co-author of the increasingly popular book “Magnetic”, which covers the historical period of the brands’ introduction to the UK from the late ’80s through the early to mid-’90s. You can snatch a copy of the book by emailing magnetic990@gmail.com for more information.
Morgan Arcade, which is over 125 years old, is part of the Morgan Quarter and is considered one of Cardiff’s best shopping destinations. It boasts a range of premium boutiques, including Fred Perry and Joules, as well as family-run stores like The Brogue Trader and Johnathan David Jewellers. Most importantly however, it served as our filming location for our “Cardiff Collectors” video, specifically at UNIT 17.
Btw, Morgan Arcade is also home to fine art shops, cafes, hairdressers, and, most famously, the world’s oldest record shop, Spillers, established in 1894, blimey. Unit 17 is one of the last few independent menswear stores in Cardiff, run by Sean, a clothing enthusiast. Sean shared his journey of how he started and what led him to open his store within the arcade, which we cover in the full video.
After meeting Sean, Anthony introduced us to Joe and Julian, both avid collectors of vintage Massimo Osti brands, (Joe focuses more on C.P. Company, while Julian focuses on Stone Island)
We were thoroughly impressed by the stories behind the clothing and how they started collecting. Both collectors highlighted a series of grail pieces within their personal collections. Joe, for example, owns some very rare and exclusive pieces, including a super Mille Miglia jacket and a rare Japanese edition piece that was only released in the Far East.
We also learned that Julian once sold a Supreme x Stone Island helicopter jacket to none other than Virgil Abloh, shipping it to Chicago years ago. Julian came through by showing the first Stone Island piece he bought when he was 17, along with a rare duffle coat and a battery-powered Stone Island jacket—yes, you heard that right, to name a few.
It was fantastic to catch up with the Cardiff boys and hear their stories. More importantly, their passion and enthusiasm for the culture were evident. We realised that these vintage pieces held more than just archival value; they also carried unique stories. For instance, Joe’s rare C.P. Company jacket was rescued from the used clothing pits of South Africa.
You can watch the full video of these remarkable collectors and their collections on our YouTube channel.
