Carlo Rivetti

Born in 1956, with a degree in Business Studies and Economics from Luigi Bocconi University in Milan, Carlo Rivetti is Creative Director and Chairman of Sportswear Company S.p.A., the company that owns the men’s clothing brand Stone Island.

The Rivetti family played an essential role in the Biella wool district during the second half of the nineteenth century. Almost a century later, together with his brothers, Carlo’s father Silvio introduced clothing made according to theoretical measurements to Italy, following a trip to the United States. This was a real revolution that brought incredible success and unstoppable growth to the family business, Gruppo Finanziario Tessile (GFT). At the end of the Seventies, Carlo’s cousin, Marco Rivetti, had the idea of launching GFT in international prêt-à-porter; it was the first company to manufacture and distribute collections by fashion designers like Giorgio Armani, Emanuel Ungaro and Valentino, making a fundamental contribution to both their international acclaim and the birth of “Made in Italy”. At the end of the Eighties, GFT decided to expand into the world of casual wear and in 1983, it acquired 50% and a few years later the entire stock of C.P. Company. Hence the Sportswear Division of the Group was born, led by Carlo Rivetti, who became its Managing Director.

From this branch of activity, important and highly successful projects were born out of the consolidation of the C.P. Company brand with Boneville, Taverniti and Stone Island, created in 1982 and destined to become a real clothing phenomenon.

Some years later, in 1993, together with his sister Cristina, Carlo Rivetti left GFT and took over the business in Ravarino. He renamed the company Sportswear Company S.p.A.

In 2010, Rivetti decided to concentrate all resources and their immense company know-how on Stone Island, giving up the C.P. Company brand.

Carlo Rivetti has taught Marketing for Industrial Design and Men’s Fashion Design at the Milan Polytechnic and he was Chairman of the Tremelloni Textiles and Fashion Library. He has covered various corporate roles: he was board director of Pitti lmmagine, member of the board and director in charge of the promotion and industrialisation area for Smi-Ati, Federation of Italian Textiles Companies and Fashion, and he is on the board of directors as foreign business activities coordinator for Altagamma. He was one of the founding members of the ADI, Association for Industrial Design Foundation and part of the IED ModaLab scientific committee.