In all likelihood, the reason Stone Island is familiar to you is because of music, sport – or a combination of the two. The brand has certainly never been short of endorsements from either. In recent years, it’s rare to spot the likes of Drake or Mr Travis Scott without the label’s telltale compass insignia emblazoned on their sleeves. But back in the 1990s, long before Stone Island became a 21st-century rapper’s delight, icons of the Britpop scene such as Oasis and the Happy Mondays had donned their “Stoney” parkas with pride, ushering in the era of Cool Britannia. They themselves had coopted their new threads from England’s football terraces, Madchester raves and the UK jungle and garage scenes, who in turn had Italian “Paninari” – young men whose passion for sport and sandwiches birthed a distinctly Milanese subculture – to thank.

Stone Island is so much more than its cultural clout, though. Since its foundation in 1982, and under the guidance of Mr Carlo Rivetti for almost 40 years, it has married the essence of top-notch Italian craftsmanship with a pioneering approach to materials, design and finishing. Anyone in the market for a jacket made with the same protective overlay as those used to shield aviation equipment, Stone Island has you covered.

It’s a tried-and-tested blueprint that remains in place today. High-tech and high-spec fabrics are still at the centre of what the brand offers, while elaborate, time-consuming processes such as garment-dyeing and washing – reportedly, the label’s Research & Development department has perfected 60,000 (and counting) recipes in its lab over the years – as well as newfangled water- and wind-proofing techniques are constantly tinkered with.

For the SS21 collection, the brand intends to take its experimental tendencies even further, beyond fabric and construction, beyond even clothes themselves, by expanding its conception of modern luxury to include something less tangible: a wholly relaxed state of mind.

Stone Island’s new “at ease” philosophy – which it describes as encapsulating feelings of “confidence, latitude and comfort” – speaks to the moment in which we live, and bears out in several ways this season in a line that’s exceptionally detailed and considered, but never fussy or overwrought.

Firstly, they’ve nailed how it feels to wear. Through the use of its signature “Old” processing, a technique that’s been widely praised by clothing industry experts, the workwear-inspired overshirts have a slightly aged character and finish that requires little to no breaking in. Vintage-type textures also come into play with the brand’s trademark loopback cotton-jersey sweatshirts and rubber-trimmed leather tennis sneakers, in crisp, classic white.

While we’re on the subject of the colour palette: alongside hallmark khakis and militaristic greens, there’s also an array of what the brand calls “neo-pastels”: soft, desaturated tones of pistachio, powdery pink and cornflour blue. Colour is something Stone Island’s design team has always been at pains to get just right, and this spectrum of sophisticated, subtle shades is well worth the exertion. Plus, on a more practical note, they’re precisely the sort of thing that’ll stand out on your next Zoom call.

It’s always tricky for labels to translate a specific sentiment into something you can wear – even more so in a time of such volatility – but here Stone Island makes it look, well, easy. Fresh, effortless and always innovative, the brand offers a masterclass in exactly what we want from our clothes right now.