In England, there is no brand more closely related with the beautiful game than Stone Island.

Almost since their inception in the early '80s, the Modena-based fabric innovators have supplied the uniform for football fans up and down the country. Their boundary-breaking outerwear has offered concurrent benefits to thousands: protecting their owners from the elements while confirming their status as bonafide supporters. The brand’s small fabric compass has become as much a part of the tapestry of football in this country as overcooked pies and underdone passes.

Football’s infatuation with Stone Island has earned it a place in 'Storia' - a definitive monograph of the brand detailing its 42-year evolution through culture. To celebrate the release of 'Storia: Updated', a reissue of the book featuring a brand new chapter on community, VERSUS sat down with Stone Island chairman Carlo Rivetti.

Rivetti has been at the helm of the Modena brand since 1983 and a key figure in their steady ascendency to the pinnacle of global streetwear. Following the book’s launch event in London, we spoke with Carlo about 'Storia', the brand’s relationship with the beautiful game and whether there will ever be a Stone Island football kit.

For the football fan, as well, Stone Island is practical. You can wear it outside in the elements.

Exactly. We always say: "Stone Island will cover your arse in the stadium".

In England, a lot of people associate Stone Island to football's relationship with hooliganism - it's become a sort of badge of masculinity for that particular group of people. But football nowadays is becoming more diverse - there are more female fans, more queer fans, more non-white fans. How does Stone Island fit into a more modern football?

I think we fit very well. I came into the shop this morning and there was a young lady buying a lovely down jacket. Our estimation is at least 20% of our customers are women, particularly young women. I always say, a jacket with a zip in front and a round neck is for everyone. We don't do female-specific product. We make our product and women buy it for what it is. Young female football fans wear Stone Island and do it very naturally.

Do you ever think the fabric innovation that Stone Island is famous for could be applied to football kits?

No. No way. We made that mistake many years ago. I used to be president of an ice hockey club and we made the shirt for the team. After the first quarter, the players were ripping them off and saying to me: "these are too hot!" So now, we work with New Balance. To produce high-quality performancewear, you need people who are experts.

Instead of the shirt maybe you should make Modena's bench jackets?

No. The idea is Modena FC and Stone Island are separate things. We don't want to mix them.

Ahh, it would be great though!

Haha I know but that's how it is.

How are Modena getting on at the moment?

...next question please.

Can you tell me a little bit about the collaboration with New Balance? How did that come about and why are they the right partner for you?‍

It started with Modena, again. We'd already collaborated with New Balance but when they heard we had bought a football team, they asked to talk to me. The president phoned me up and initially I tried to tell him not to do it. When he heard that though, he was convinced he needed to do it haha. We are very happy with the collaboration, the relationship is very good because we've known each other a long time.

In recent years, football has become closer friends with fashion. The fashion world has seen opportunities within the world of sport. What do you think about it and where do you think it could go from here?

It is interesting for me taking designs for sport and doing an interpretation for normal life. I know nanotechnology treatment is arriving for fabric and I can see that being applied to the world of sport soon.

'Stone Island Storia: Updated' is available to purchase via the brand's website now.

VERSUS: I heard you are a big Inter Milan fan, Carlo. Did you see the game last night? (Filipo Inzaghi’s Inter had just beaten Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League).

Carlo: I grew up an Inter fan but when we invested in Modena, my wife told me I needed to pick one team. If I follow Inter and Modena, I would never see her haha!

Tell me about Modena. What made you want to get involved with a football team in this way?

I’ve loved football since I was a child. My grandfather was president of Torino and built their old stadium. Nowadays, in our family we have Roma supporters, Inter supporters, AC Milan supporters. So when we got the opportunity to enter football ourselves, the only team we could invest in was Modena. That way, everyone was happy! Stone Island was born in the city so it was a way to give back to the local community, too. So now, the whole family supports the same club. We spend fantastic family weekends together watching the team. It makes me very happy.

Your first community was in Modena but now Stone Island has fans around the world. What's the common thread that unites the Stone Island community?

First of all, they know everything about the way we build our garments. What surprises me when I travel is that people who wear Stone Island know everything about the way we build our garments. The first time I went to China there was this young guy who, when he saw me, opened up a banner that said 'Welcome Carlo!'. He was wearing a very old garment from the late '80s and stayed with me for 20 minutes explaining how to make this jacket. I was amazed.

How would you say Stone Island has evolved during your time at the brand?

Evolved is the correct word. We never look at the market or at what's cool at the moment. We always want to do something that's unique. The world has changed from 1982 to now but we move step by step, without jumping forward. In my opinion, this is one of our secrets to success. The total respect of the DNA of the brand. Fashion in general moves in waves. Someone once called me a 'surf interpreter' - I always try to stay on top of the wave.

How would you describe the DNA of the brand?

The two parts of Stone Island are 'Lab' and 'Life'. 'Lab' is our work in the laboratory in which we try to develop new products, new dyes, new treatments. 'Life' is when you see your garment walking the street. To me, this is magic. At the event in London, I saw my whole life. There were vintage pieces from the '80s and '90s.

Things you'd never seen before?

No, I saw before haha! I made them! To see them worn by people around the world, though, to me it's always emotional.

Stone Island is popular with so many different subcultures around the world, but I read that you don't design for specific subcultures. Why do you think designing for them doesn't work?

In general, people know what is already done. We always try to push the boundaries of research in unexplored fields so we cannot listen to the people. We have to work on real research. We don't start the research thinking about next season. We start the research thinking to achieve and when we achieve, we'll enter it into the next collection. If we achieve something, that is. When you start, you don't know. However, even if you aren't able to finalise the research, during the process you meet new technology, new people so you also learn from mistakes.

Why did you feel it was important to produce a book like Storia?

The idea for ‘Storia’ came from my wife Sabina. I thought it was great because it was an opportunity to see the evolution of the brand and to find the common thread that ran through 42 years of activity. The book tells our story to the consumer but for me it tells the story of the young designers working in Ravarino.

The new issue has a chapter on 'Community'. How does it feel seeing the brand co-opted by so many different people around the world?It makes me very, very proud. It's totally organic. At Stone Island we don't change our language to talk to different communities. I learned many years ago that the key is to find people who will listen to our story and our point of view. Instead of always adjusting to what others think and want, we believe that within the huge number of consumers, there will always be someone interested in what we have to say and offer.

Why did you feel like you needed to add a new chapter to the book?

We wanted to give back to the community. The new chapter is a recognition of their role in our story.

What do you want people to take from the book?Inspiration.

How would you describe Stone Island's relationship with football?

We became famous in England because of one man. There was a boutique in Manchester called Flannels and there was a guy playing for Manchester United who went in and bought some Stone Island product. Then he went on TV wearing the badge. And from there, it was done. His name was Eric Cantona.Sport people like Stone Island because Stone Island performs. We're popular as well with basketball players as well but it's difficult to find products in their size!