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Stone Island is bringing its archive exhibition to Frieze LA as fashion brands find value in cosying up to the art scene.
Running from 29 February to 3 March, Selected Works ‘982-‘024 is Stone Island’s first major US archival exhibition and will showcase 42 archival pieces, many of which are rare and previously unexhibited — including the first comprehensive overview of the Stone Island Shadow Project, which ran from 2008 to 2021. Also on display will be 12 of Stone Island’s Reflective jackets and 35 Stone Island Pure Metal Shell jackets. It’ll also display collaboration pieces with the likes of Supreme, New Balance and NikeLab. It’s a version of an archive exhibition that debuted at Frieze Seoul in September, which featured 70 pieces.
“We’re seeing a generation that is very engaged in our legacy and excited about our research and innovation,” CEO Robert Triefus told Vogue Business at the time of the Korean iteration. Now, the brand is banking on this resonance stateside.
The exhibition will be based in Culver City, a central hub that’s seen a rise of galleries and artist spaces in recent years. It’s also a 15-minute drive from Frieze LA at the Santa Monica Airport, which also begins on 29 February.
Stone Island has partnered with Frieze since last year when it first joined forces with the fair in London as the partner of Focus, Frieze’s arm dedicated to new galleries and emerging talent. Fashion houses have increasingly linked up with Frieze, capitalising on the crowds in town for the art fairs. Last year, at Frieze New York, brands including Prada, RtA and Dr Barbara Sturm all showed up for the long weekend. “If you’re looking at art, or you’re buying art, or you care about art, chances are you care about other aesthetic pursuits,” art historian and writer Sarah Hoover told Vogue Business at the time. “You’re most likely interested in fashion, and if you’re going to this, you’re most likely going to a bunch of other cultural events where you need clothing to wear.”
Frieze Seoul was an even bigger scene — other luxury brands including Chanel, Prada and Acne Studios and Korean labels like We11done, Osoi and YY all hosted events. The fashion focus at the art fair was so great that it overshadowed Seoul Fashion Week, which had moved its dates to align with Frieze to capitalise on the buzz.
It’s part of Stone Island’s attempt to grow awareness and sales in the US, where revenue dipped 2 per cent for the brand in the third quarter, parent company Moncler reported in October. The brand is on the path to growth and appeared in the Vogue Business Index for the first time in Winter 2023/24. (It’s the only new addition since Spring/Summer 2023 and ranked 42 out of 60.) Brand sentiment trailed slightly behind its competitors, the Index found, flagging global awareness as a key area of improvement for the brand. A big Frieze activation marks an effort to boost US presence.
In a bid to boost community alongside showcasing its fashion, the brand will also host pop-up stores and a café with local LA talent, including cafe Community Goods (a favourite of LA’s creative community) with Rocky’s Matcha. Better Gift Shop will run a gift shop with pieces selected by local curators. Books, music and, of course, vintage fashion will also feature.
It’s a nod to Stone Island’s “Lab Life” thesis, which focuses on merging community and production. Stone Island will also host screenings and talks during the show’s run, including a premiere of Berlin-based Ken-Tonio Yamamoto’s new documentary film, Infinite Colours, which centres on Stone Island’s workers and their processes at the brand’s headquarters in Ravarino, Italy.
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