How to *actually* grow a brand long-term

We gathered 10 key pieces of advice from Carlo Rivetti, chair of Stone Island and the father figure to its close-knit family of artisans.

In the 80s, there were fashion shows, and it was all about the designers. In the 90s, there were fashion shows, and it was all about the models on the runway. Since the 00s, there have been fashion shows, and it’s all about the celebrities on the front row. So, really, for almost half a century, most design houses have prioritised marketing over product. This is what Carlo Rivetti, chairman of Stone Island, would tell his students during his time teaching at Politecnico di Milano. At a London screening of the brand’s new documentary, hosted by 1 Granary for over a hundred local designers, he reasserts this belief. “At Stone Island,” however, “we only talk about the product. There’s no need to fluff it up with gimmicks.”

Discussing the brand’s new film, Infinite Colours, Carlo enthuses about the team at Stone Island. “Our craftspeople are a force of nature, the fuel of our engine,” he says. “They are full of energy and pride for what they do, and [this film] is a tribute to the people who make possible the creation of our products.”

So, what else can we learn from Stone Island from watching Infinite Colours? Here’s what Carlo Rivetti told us.

Start with a new idea

“Keep pushing forward the boundaries of innovation. Stone Island was born with a garment made of truck tarpaulin. It was clear from the onset that we were onto something different, something that ‘deviated’.” 

Don’t rebrand, just refine your product

“I think it’s essential to believe in the project and to protect it at all costs from what’s happening around it. We know for a fact that it goes in waves, so if you follow them, you’re already late. It’s a straight line upwards: sometimes there are moments it crosses the line of fashion in one of its crests, when they meet on a trend, sometimes it simply doesn’t.” 

Build long and lasting relationships with everyone you work with

“20 years ago, I saw sewing robots in Japan for the first time. They were incredible to look at, but they could only do straight stitching. For all other types of stitchings, we still need that sophisticated technology called the hand. Quality is given by both good machinery as well as the people who use them. So when I find a factory with high-quality hands, if they are lacking the technological tools, I’ll provide them with them. I do it because I know that I’m entrusting my technology with people who will be able to make the best out of it. I don’t like to call them subcontractors. It’s a personal relationship. We have the same relationship with our [stockists]. Some of them have been buying the brand for the past 40 years, through thick and thin, just like a marriage. I’m a hopeless romantic, but I truly believe that this is the only way to proceed: from the creation of the product, crafted by these trusted people, to the sale, we all feel we are part of something special.” 

Research, research, research

“I think that innovation, research and technology have been the key to our success. Without that, we’d have been just like all other brands. There was a moment when English-style diamond patterned jumpers were in, and our sales people were begging me to make one. But I told them there was no need to make any since there were already plenty of options in the market, which were probably even better than the ones we would have made ourselves.”

Create a working environment everyone can enjoy

“We called Stone Island’s second book Famiglia, because one of the biggest strengths of this brand is the sense of family that everyone feels. I always say that every night before clocking out, our people turn off the lights in the office in Ravarino. Just like they’d do at home. They love their job.” 

Technical skill is king

“People change with age and with experience. Young designers can be very individualistic sometimes. I’ve always told my students to go deep into things. They can’t afford to be superficial in this job. They don’t understand that design is not everything in a product. You can sketch an incredible garment, but if you don’t have the technical tools and the people to craft it, it will always be an abstract idea. Of course, I told them to aim high, so that if they encountered any technical limits along the process, they could still craft something decent.”

Never forget your core audience

“In 2012, at the presentation of our first book, there were two generations of fans: my ‘old people’ wearing old Stone Island, and then the first wave of youths. They had never seen those archival pieces in real life, and I still remember the look on their faces while the elders were telling them the story of those garments… that’s when I realised we were on the verge of something big.”

If your business grows, build an archive

“At Stone Island, we have three types of archives: the product archive, the archive of all the dyeing formulas and the one of all the textiles. But let’s focus on the first type. At the beginning, it didn’t exist. At the end of each season, we would simply store the collections. But after 15 years or so, we realised that the storage had taken the shape of an archive. So we labelled all the garments, and we created a digital database. Then the earthquake came, and so we built a new space that is a full-fledged archive with lighting and air control. It serves a heritage and storytelling function, but it’s also a tool for us to create new collections informed by our previous work. It’s a motivational drive for our design team, too, because they design with the idea of ‘fuelling the archive’ with new pieces. And the same approach is adopted by our clients: yesterday night [at the Stone Island: La Storia Update launch at the London flagship store], they were all coming to show me the photos of their personal collections.”

Watch the full film here.

Words Ryan White

Interview Eleonora Dal Bosco