Stone Island's new flagship store.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Italian brand Stone Island unveiled its new flagship store in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on September 5. The brand's global CEO, Robert Triefus, and global community ambassador, Ethan Ruan, attended the opening ceremony.

Spanning three floors and covering an area of over 370 square meters, the store showcases Stone Island's innovative craftsmanship, materials, and design collaborations. The retail space on the first and second floors displays the brand's full range of collections, including the Stone Island Ghost, Marina, and Stellina sub-series, highlighting the brand's focus on material innovation and community culture.

Bold design elements such as the Chandelier digital display and experimental materials such as treated cork on the two floors underscore the brand's ongoing commitment to material research and community engagement.

The store also features "Pure Metal Shell Bronze", a unique archive piece from the AW '999–000 season, marking the introduction of the Stone Island badge with white embroidery.

"Hangzhou nicely embodies Stone Island's values of innovation and experimentation. Dynamic, design-conscious, and forward-thinking, the city mirrors our brand's spirit, making it the ideal location to unveil our global retail concept in collaboration with OMA/AMO," Triefus told China Daily.

"Hangzhou offers a vibrant platform where we can strengthen our connection with the community and continue pushing boundaries," he added.

"Together with our store in Ningbo (150 km from Hangzhou), Hangzhou's dynamism, energy, and spirit of innovation make it a city we could not miss. We designed this space to go beyond retail; it is an experiential hub," Triefus said.

Triefus emphasized the importance of China's market, saying, "China has always been defined by vibrant, curious, and highly dynamic communities, deeply engaged with fashion and design. Our community here embodies this same spirit of creativity and forward-thinking—culture-driven, experimental, and eager to embrace new ideas. As they discover more of Stone Island, new opportunities emerge to shape fresh narratives and push the boundaries of contemporary culture together."

Since its inception in 1982, Stone Island has become renowned for its unwavering commitment to material research and design innovation. The brand was born from Tela Stella, derived from truck tarpaulin, challenging conventional approaches to garment construction from the very beginning, .

Over decades of continuous experimentation, Stone Island has developed an extensive archive of unique textiles, dyeing techniques, and treatment processes. Each innovation is always paired with a strong focus on functionality, ensuring every detail serves a practical purpose in real-life..

Stone Island's retail network in Greater China now includes Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Macau, Hangzhou, and Tianjin.