Stone Island Transforming Soho Pop-Up Into a Flagship For Its High-Tech Jackets

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When Stone Island closes the doors to its pop-up shop at 41 Greene Street on November 15th, the Italian brand isn't actually saying goodbye. It'll actually begin preparing to turn the 3,767-square foot space into its first US flagship, set to debut in late 2016, WWD reports.

And even though this is a men's label, both men and women will want to take a look at the jackets that they're known for, especially before the pop-up shuts down on Sunday — they'll certainly come in handy and the weather turns colder and wetter. Stone Island prides itself on using highly reflective and thermo-sensitive fabrics that change color with the variation of temperature. Alongside the fall collection that includes ready-to-wear apparel, accessories, and shoes, the introductory pop-up shop in Soho used archival jackets in an installation full of weather-defying outerwear that showcased the brand's legacy.

And this, brand president Carlo Rivetti tells the paper, will be the foundation of the flagship. "With this project I'm not really interested in selling clothes, but the goal is telling the story of the company and growing the brand awareness among people in the United States," he said. "The people entering the venue are all surprised. They like the products on display, they are interested in learning who we are and what we do."

The idea was to introduce the brand's first standalone store in Los Angeles, but decided against it on the heels on the pop-up's success. They also wanted to capitalize on the notoriety they gained from a collaboration with Supreme back in 2014.