In the first editorial focus dedicated to the Massimo Osti Archive (check it out here https://athletamag.com/it/massimo-osti-archive-unoasi-del-progresso-fashion-per-una-biografia-rivoluzionaria/), we explored the pillars that shaped and defined the work of the Bologna-based creative – an unconventional designer, an outsider who revolutionized sportswear and became its humble yet visionary father figure. Now, through the firsthand account of Lorenzo Osti, current President of C.P. Company, we uncover the profound connection between his father and the world of sport.

Gazing at the Goggle Jackets lining the perimeter of the Archive, it’s impossible not to think of the evolution of C.P. Company – the brand at the heart of Massimo Osti’s multifaceted legacy – and its deep ties to British casual culture. It echoes the human gallery of the terraces, the concrete steps that once surrounded and, in some cases, still surround the football arenas of the birthplace of the Beautiful Game. It also intersects with the controversial hooligan movement – a complex social phenomenon that, under Margaret Thatcher, dissolved into little more than a historical artifact. Yet, its influence persists, an enduring and unblemished school of style.

Lorenzo Osti’s memories reveal a paternal biography far more complex than this well-known, albeit unintended, association. They shape a sports retrospective that extends beyond football. Through his reflections, enriched by evocative archival images, basketball, sailing, and motorsports emerge as alternative mainstays in the life of the revolutionary designer. Raised among the playgrounds of ‘Basket City’ – his Bologna – the gentle ebb and flow of ocean currents, and the sleek contours of the iconic MilleMiglia, these passionate chapters further illuminate the essence of Massimo Osti – a visionary whose spirit was deeply intertwined with the world of sport.

MASSIMO OSTI AND BASKETBALL. There is no Bologna, or rather, no ‘Basket City’ without basketball, and there is no true Bolognese who doesn’t believe the Game.

“Basketball has always been part of our family. I grew up surrounded by my father’s basketball friends, like the legendary Virtus Bologna and National team players Mario Martini and Piero Valenti. All my relatives were Virtus fans, we’d always go to ‘Palazzo’ to watch the games. But I was all about Fortitudo. The Virtus fans came from the ‘posher’ part of Bologna, while we felt like the ‘underdogs’ of the city…

Beyond that, I remember that our home was a kind of hub for the Bolognese energy of the ‘70s and ‘80s. From Monday to Sunday, there was always someone ringing the doorbell in the evening. We’d all eat together. The mix of personalities was incredible: from Virtus players to Lucio Dalla, another Virtus fan, or Beppe Grillo, and even people with the most ordinary jobs. My mother had lived in a commune in San Francisco, and I think that kind of environment and sense of community were somewhat influenced by her experiences.

My parents even went to China on their honeymoon—an unconventional choice for 1975, to say the least. To understand my father’s passion for basketball, all you have to do is look at his photos from that trip. In one of them, he’s surrounded by a bunch of Chinese kids – what’s he doing? Playing basketball. The same in photos from another family trip to Costa Rica: in those, it’s just me and him on a court… In Bologna, he even took it on himself to renovate a court, putting up the hoops and everything. Basketball has always been important in his life.”

MASSIMO OSTI AND SAILING. The sea as sanctuary amidst the chaos, stress, and  confusion of the fashion industry.

“Sailing gave my father so much. His life was defined by work and time on the boat. Many of my memories are among the waves… He bought his first wooden boat in 1984. It was incredibly uncomfortable, practically falling apart, but irresistibly charming. I still have it, just like I hold onto his endless stories. The anecdotes span from trips with Andrea Pazienza, Monica Bellucci, and other celebrities—drawing bewildered stares from onlookers at our small wooden boat—to a lightning strike during a sailing adventure…

My father wasn’t a sailor, at least not in the strictest sense of the term. He didn’t view it as a sport. He didn’t spend much time at the helm. He was an introspective, meditative person: being out in the middle of the sea freed him from that chaos, the ‘noise’ of his profession. His relationship with sailing revolved around the desire to isolate himself, enjoying nature while, at the same time, sharing quality time with people he respected.

I remember only one regatta. We were in Sardinia for a summer vacation. None of us was able to race, but some insisted on entering. One of my father’s companions mentioned that he would reach out to a friend who just happened to be nearby on holiday to lend a hand. Not long after, Francesco De Angelis—the legendary Neapolitan helmsman and the first non-English speaker to win the Louis Vuitton Cup with Luna Rossa –  showed up. The rest of the crew was me, some friends, and people who knew very little about competitive sailing… De Angelis started giving us instructions very softly, really a kind man. His approach surprised me. We came in first, with a half-hour lead over the second place… It was an absurd experience, and it made me realize the talent of an elite sailor.

Over time, we had several boats. The ‘Coast to Coast,’ for example, was named after a product line he’d produced. It was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in ‘91, shipwrecked on a hill. After that, we had a Swan 65 with two masts, which Massimo also named ‘Coast to Coast.’ I’ve continued the family tradition. After my father’s death, I refurbished our old wooden boat. He never wanted to sell it; he was really attached to it. Now, I try to experience sailing like he did: I’m interested in the sensations. I physically sense something that empties me and fills me at the same time.”

MASSIMO OSTI AND MOTORING. Between automotive design and fashion, the affinities abound, embedded within is the aesthetic philosophy of a visionary captivated by the Mille Miglia.

 “Cars were another of my father’s great passions. At the peak of his fascination, he owned a Jaguar Daimler Double Six – a massive, imposing car – followed, somewhat unexpectedly, by a Micra. He liked cars in general, for the beauty of their design, their shapes… For years, he also had a bright yellow Porsche 356, which I used to joke looked like a banana.

The MilleMiglia was one of his favorite events. It was always a fun day when it passed through Bologna. For a while, he even thought about racing in it… Unfortunately, his professional commitments didn’t allow it. Still, he secured a sponsorship deal for C.P. Company: he saw a natural connection between the brand and the race. This synergy led to the iconic MilleMiglia jacket, synonymous with the Goggle Jacket, as well as a photographic book where my mother’s lens took center stage. True to his signature creative process—something we explored in the first deep dive into the Massimo Osti Archive – even the photos for this project underwent a unique treatment. The photos were first photocopied and then inserted into the publication: this process gave them an ‘old’ patina, a sense of being ‘used,’ which always intrigued him.

The introduction to the book was penned by Massimo Osti himself. In his words, he draws a direct parallel between cars and garments, defining both as objects that establish the identity of the owner. For him, the car was a portrait of one’s tastes and lifestyle. He admired the ability of designers of the time to combine functionality and aesthetics with ease and imagination. In this dualism between motors and fashion, he always found a real, tangible connection…”

MASSIMO OSTI AND FOOTBALL. A long story of an unwitting yet natural godfather for casual culture and the entire terrace scene.

“Every time Massimo Osti and his brands are associated with football, it makes me smile a bit. In our family, we were anything but football fans. I even heard my father didn’t watch the 1982 World Cup final because he was working on a collection. When he found out that Italy had won, he kept on working and made a joke about them being lucky…

For a long time, we were unaware of the impact he’d had on the terraces, casual culture, and on the aesthetic of British football fans. He didn’t travel, and he didn’t speak English so we only got occasional tidbits, nothing precise… The work on his Archive and the advent of social media changed everything. We started to find groups dedicated to my father and his brands. His designs fully entered hooligan subculture, like a sort of cult worship. We started to reach out to some people, inviting them to Bologna, and from that moment, a ‘pilgrimage’ to the Massimo Osti Archive began. Amazing people come, those who grew up in the ‘80s who now receive the trip as a gift from their wives. Spending time with them, you can really appreciate their passion and deep reverence they have for the visual world that Massimo Osti created.

Naturally, this intrigued me, so I started researching. I discovered that the link between British football subculture and brands like C.P. Company started in the ‘80s, thanks to the European away games by major English clubs, especially from the north of the country, like Liverpool and Manchester United. I can picture these fans leaving a well-known textile district in full recession, gray and rainy, heading to cities like Milan, where they stumble across figures like the ‘paninari’… There’s a strong dichotomy in this scene. It was all kind of dystopian. Some books claim that the fans began to notice the lack of security in Italian stores and began stealing the clothes they saw worn by their counterparts. From that moment, a real underground trade began, stolen goods distributed or resold on their return. Of course, it wasn’t just my father’s brands that attracted the fans – this process laid the foundation for an entire system, eventually bringing many terrace-favorite brands into the commercial mainstream.

At some point, I began to wonder why my father’s creations had played such a big role in this dynamic. I think there are two aspects that stand out, especially in C.P. Company: the first is functional – his designs were perfect for covering the face, so there was a practical, functional use; the second is the proximity of his aesthetic to that of the working class. My father worked with archetypes of workwear. This fact inevitably stood out to an English fan who, for example, might wear nobler versions of carpenter jackets… My father’s pieces felt familiar to them.”

C.P. COMPANY AND THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. Massimo Osti’s football legacy lives on through the contemporary evolution of his cornerstone brand and the vision of his son, Lorenzo.

“In light of everything we’ve discussed, C.P. Company’s reconnection with football was a natural progression. The bond is so deeply ingrained… and I have to say, the terraces and casual community – despite the nuances, including more negative ones – deserve credit for keeping the brand alive during some pretty tough years. It felt right to celebrate this relationship, and we’re trying to do so by aligning ourselves with football institutions of real substance.

A great example is Manchester City, a perfect match for its authenticity. It’s a Premier League team with a centuries-old history that, despite its modern evolution, has had anything but a winning path. It’s been shaped and supported by people truly connected to the city of Manchester and its heritage. Additionally, there’s a strong similarity between Manchester and Bologna – both are industrial hubs, home to prominent universities and significant music scenes. There are really interesting connections.

Our collaborations with teams like City, or even Bologna itself, highlight the desire to grow our contemporary brand awareness while embracing a keystone of our company’s  journey. Interestingly, we’ve recently discovered that this legacy has extended as far as Indonesia: in one of the latest issues of our magazine, Arcipelago, we explored the casual-football community in Indonesia, a subculture filled with counterfeit Goggle Jackets.  

Today, I see football as much more than just 90 minutes on the pitch—it’s a broader entertainment experience. And in this vision, C.P. Company is committed to continuing its journey, embracing the culture, the connections, and the deeper narratives that make the game so much more than a sport.”