The system was inspired by the fastenings on horse riding chaps produces in Italy and Osti's passion for maritime sailing. Massimo Osti's designs have such a cult influence in the European fashion world that, this year, they've been meticulously catalogued in a massive 412-page tome, Ideas From Massimo Osti, edited by his wife, Daniela Facchinato, and published by Diamiani.

P. Company, amongst others, as well as the most important advertising work executed by Massimo for these brands, but also a lesser-known side of the man's work: his political commitment and his many ventures into other professional arenas.

There are multiple versions of the Ice Jacket, made from just as many materials but one thing that is consistent is the colour change and while it may not seem out of the ordinary now, it was ground-breaking back then. His genius was then to take those ideas and remould them into something totally new and modern in look and feel.

The book documents the period from 1978-1986 and it's essentially the best xerox book you will ever see.It might be more time consuming than a zip or buttons, but it is so incredible unique that there could be no other brand to implement it. Written and edited by Osti’s wife Daniela Facchinato, the book tells the story of the ‘godfather of sportswear’. The images that accompany this story, styled by Pearmain and photographed by Alasdair McLellan, are proof of such unadulterated nowness. The more painterly CP Company and CP Collection became the uniforms of choice for the artistic and creative communities.

That spark, that ability to talk to the public and create a reaction, stayed with him all along his career. It all started in 1987 when a style assistant for Studio Osti encountered a new material from Japan named Sway. A cult inspires the notion that the thing you worship is singular,’ says Max Pearmain, ‘and to my eye Osti is one of a kind. Written and edited by Osti's wife Daniela Facchinato, with more than 1000 images, including 175 newly photographed individual garments from throughout his career, this book offers an extremely wide-spanning look at Osti's achievements and influence, contextualizing the designer as a visionary artist working in numerous different formats.

Many of Osti’s outerwear designs have a 2 in 1 nature; an inner detachable layer, made to keep the wearer warm and an outer shell, normally with some form of new treatment or process to make it stand out from previous designs. this master of form and function lies in his unique ability to communicate, not through advertising or press releases, but rather through the clothes themselves. From Ideas from Massimo Osti: Life Savers — "A motor scooter is the preferred method of transportation for teenagers in Italy and Massimo becomes preoccupied with the disequilibrium created by school books in the backpacks of young drivers so he invents a type of vest with a rear pocket which can be tightened around the chest lending more stability to the load.