HOW MASSIMO OSTI RE-ENGINEERED MENSWEAR

©CP Company

From 1971 to the early 2000s, Osti was responsible for a catalogue of brands including from C.P. Company to Stone Island and Supreme to NikeLab. His work remains embraced by industry fixtures. For many, sporting a Stone Island badge on their left arm or wearing a C.P. goggle jacket still symbolizes a commitment to substance over hype. “I design clothes for a man who travels across the planet, through different environments; nature, traffic, pollution, the urban adventure,” said Osti. “I’ve always thought that my clothes had to respond to real needs.”

Osti was an engineer, a self-described designer of “clothing-objects” for practical use. He was addicted to subversion and reinvention, to the merging of tradition and transformation in pursuit of seamless function. The idiosyncrasies of his work build a narrative of exceptional ingenuity, a legacy that honors the past while provoking the future. The people at Ssense had a look at some of staple pieces Osti was involved in that left its mark on the fashion industry.