Since its founding in 1982, Stone Island has become a leader in material research and innovation. The brand was born from a fabric not commonly used in clothing and has been guided by the mantra “Research. Form. Function.” Over the decades, it has built a collection of unique materials, treatment techniques, and color recipes. “Material Science” is an ongoing series of films by Stone Island that invites viewers into its world of invention and transformation. Episode 003 focuses on Nylon Metal-TC.

Nylon Metal-TC is one of Stone Island’s iconic fabrics, developed through decades of research. It was introduced in the Spring/Summer 2005 collection. The fabric is made from trilobate cross-section black and white nylon yarn that subtly refracts light. The black weft and white warp of the woven material create a unique receptivity to dyeing, where only the white yarn absorbs the dye. This process results in a metallic sheen effect, even though there is no metal yarn in the fabric itself.

The acronym TC stands for “Tinto Capo,” the brand’s garment dyeing technique. The entire garment is dyed using methods and color recipes developed in-house, which further accentuates the fabric’s iridescence while giving it a distinct tone and hue.

Over the years, Nylon Metal-TC has gone through various developments and has become a cornerstone of Stone Island’s material vocabulary. Later versions include Nylon Metal Colour Weft Watro for Spring/Summer 2016, which changed the black weft into colored yarn to intensify the iridescent effect through strong chromatic contrast. For Fall/Winter 2019-2020, Nylon Metal Watro Ripstop-TC was introduced, featuring a micro ripstop weave and a distinctive internal resin treatment. Poly-Colour Frame followed in Fall/Winter 2020-2021, with a shiny nylon warp combined with a colored polyester weft, creating a three-dimensional square motif driven by the different tension of the yarns. More recently, Fall/Winter 2023-2024 introduced Macro Ripstop Nylon Metal in Econyl, with garments defined by an enlarged ripstop weave made with white yarn to be enhanced by the dyeing process.

For Spring/Summer 2026, Stone Island presents Nylon Metal-TC in Econyl across a range of garment weights and constructions. The material is used on recurring down jackets, as well as on a field jacket with front patch pockets and matching cargo trousers, plus short-sleeve shirts and shorts. The color spectrum ranges from saturated tones like malachite green and moss green to more restrained shades of mud and soft grey.