From early Stone Island experiments to rare C.P. Company garments, Leicester-based Archivio Clothing has built a business around sourcing some of the most sought-after pieces in Italian sportswear history.
We recently travelled to Leicester to meet brothers Chris and Kyle, two of the triplets behind Archivio Clothing, to discover how a childhood fascination with Stone Island developed into a full-time family business.
Their interest began long before archive clothing became the thriving resale market it is today.
Growing up, the brothers regularly visited independent menswear retailer Limeys with their father, spending Saturdays exploring the rails and trying on Stone Island jackets. One of their earliest favourites was the Shimmer jacket, a design that would eventually become part of their own wardrobes.
Today, that enthusiasm has become a business involving the brothers and their father, with sourcing trips taking them across the UK and overseas in search of rare and unusual garments.
For our visit, Archivio brought along an impressive selection of Stone Island and C.P. Company clothing, including discontinued collections, experimental designs and garments rarely encountered outside private collections.
Among the highlights was the 2012 Stone Island 30th Anniversary Tela Stella jacket, a modern interpretation of the material associated with the brand’s earliest designs. Chris recalled seeing examples reduced to approximately £350 in shops, while comparable pieces can now command around £1,500 on the resale market.
Another remarkable piece was the Stone Island 20th Anniversary Fibre Optic jacket, incorporating illuminated elements into its construction. Originally operated through a removable battery pack, the jacket demonstrates the brand’s longstanding interest in experimenting with materials and technology.
The brothers also presented a 1988 Stone Island Helicopter Jacket, an exceptionally unusual archive design featuring distinctive visor detailing and zip construction. Its influence can be traced through later interpretations, including Stone Island’s collaboration with Supreme.
Perhaps the most intriguing garment, however, was a rare C.P. Company promotional jacket associated with Massimo Osti, Levi’s and Philips. Designed with compartments for portable electronics, it came with an equally unusual story involving its original owner tracking down an example through a London barbershop.
Each piece offered a different perspective on the experimentation that helped establish Stone Island and C.P. Company as two of the most influential names in technical menswear.
During our conversation, the brothers explained how dramatically the market has changed.
Jackets that once appeared in seasonal sales have become increasingly desirable, while discontinued collections such as Stone Island Shadow Project continue attracting collectors interested in their technical construction and distinctive design language.
For Archivio, sourcing these garments involves more than identifying valuable pieces. It requires understanding their history, condition, rarity and the collectors who continue to preserve them.
And while the four jackets above offer a glimpse into the collection, they were far from the only surprises brought along for our visit.
Some of the most unusual pieces appeared towards the end, including one particularly remarkable jacket with a personal story behind it that the brothers had no intention of selling.
Our visit also marks the beginning of a new partnership.
Archivio Clothing will be joining Hoxton’s Wardrobe, our curated platform bringing together selected pre-owned clothing from trusted independent resellers alongside pieces from our own collection.
The aim is to create a destination where enthusiasts can discover carefully selected garments from knowledgeable sellers across the UK and beyond, with authenticity and trusted transactions central to the experience.
We’ll be working with Archivio to showcase selected pieces from their changing inventory, alongside other specialist resellers joining the platform.
But for those interested in seeing the full collection, including the rare garments we haven’t covered here, our Leicester visit is well worth watching.
Discover the stories behind the jackets, the people who tracked them down and a few archive pieces that genuinely surprised us.
Watch the full episode on The Hoxton Trend YouTube channel.
Explore the collection: Hoxton’s Wardrobe
Follow the collectors: Archivio Clothing
