Massimo Osti

Massimo Osti was born in Baricella (Bologna) on June 6th, 1944.

He began his career as a graphic designer in the advertising business. In 1968 he designed his first t-shirt collection “Ciomp Ciomp” featuring placed prints techniques like four-color process and silkscreen which, at the time, is used for printing on paper.

In 1970, he created the Chester Perry brand (That later becomes C.P. Company). Which he in such a short time, revolutionized the market introducing a new concept of elegance based on comfort and shapes features.

During these years, Osti laid the foundations for a creative philosophy based entirely on experimentation and research.

In the early 70’, Massimo was the first to successfully dye finished garments made of different materials in a single dye bath. These basis of garment dying revolutionize forever the entire industry.

Alongside the existing C.P. Company and C.P. Company Baby brands, Massimo created the new Boneville (1981) and Stone Island (1982) brands. Stone Islands first collection comprises only a few pieces, entirely made from a revolutionary new fabric that takes inspiration from the tarps used on trucks. The Boneville Navy Arctic follows in 1985.

In 1985, he founded C.P. Magazine. In 1987, the Reichstag in Berlin hosted an exhibit to celebrate the first fifteen years on his career.

In 1989, he provided the funding for a documentary made for the rainforest foundation.

In the early 90s, he opened C.P. Company’s first store in New York’s historic Flatiron Building. Meanwhile he moved his Italian studio into a renovated 1930s-era wheat warehouse located in Bologna.

In 1993, in partnership with Allegri, he created the left hand Men and Women’s Collection.

In 1994 he leaved C.P. Company. “Stone Island’s S/S ‘95” was the last collection he designed for the company which he created. At the same time he opened a New Company, Production S.P.A., where he created Massimo Osti Production and ST95 Lines, which stood out thanks to their innovative shapes and materials.

Between 1999 and 2000, he begun a collaboration with Dockers Europe to design a new line of technical pants called Equipment For Legs and Then The ICD+ Collection for Levi’s. his last invention was the Mo Double Use Collection (2003-2005), a reversible knitwear featuring two layers of cashmere sewn together.

After a struggle with illness that lasted two years, he died in Bologna on June 6, 2005.