Stone Island is no stranger to experimentation. Arguably, it’s their raison d’etre. At the very front end of pushing the envelope of technology of clothes-making is their Prototype Research Project. This weekend the company unveiled its latest prototype round at Milan’s Design Week. The Stone Island Prototype Research_Series 08 titled the “Multiaxial Project” features 100 unique capes crafted from newly developed fabrics using techniques from the automotive industry. The treatments and fabrics used were born from research and experimentation processes that have yet to be industrialized. The Multiaxial Project pays tribute to the brand’s inaugural collection, which featured a cape based on a WWII military garment, while continuously pushing the boundary of innovation.
With the help of its industrial partners, Stone Island created this textile by modifying technical treatments allowing for the fabric to obtain flexibility, translucency, and water repelling characteristics. The process starts with a multi axial linen textile bonded to a non-woven fabric. The fabric goes through state-of-the-art ink jet printing then sealed with a double lamination of alphatic polyurethane film.
For the installation to highlight the process, Stone Island intertwined 100 such capes at its Milan showroom. When put together, the 100 garments produce a large fresco, a dreamlike organic landscape reminiscent of a primordial world. The exhibition then unfolds into two distinct yet complementary narratives: on the left, 32 interconnected capes serving as a visual testament to the material’s versatility and the collection’s artistic vision; on the right, the narrative takes a more abstract turn focusing on the garment creation in an allegorical manner immersing visitors in the journey from concept to wearable art.
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Stone Island Multiaxial Project, at via Savona 54 on view from April 15th to Sunday 21st.
All images © Stone Island, courtesy of the brand
