Belstaff Pure Motorcycle Collection The History
In 1924, Harry Grosberg founded Belstaff in Victoria Place, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire in the English Midlands. The original product line consisted of waterproof garments for men and women. For the company logo a portrait of a Phoenix rising up was chosen as a symbol of continuity through the good and bad times.
At about this time Belstaff became the first company in the world to use a fabric that was totally waterproof but breathable, the now famous "Wax Cotton".
This was a very fine Egyptian cotton treated with natural oils, making it waterproof while leaving the cotton's excellent breathability characteristics unimpaired. With this material, Belstaff specialised in the creation of high technology wear for the protection of the motorcyclist.
During the Thirties Belstaff specialized in making technical garments wind-proof, rain-proof and resistant to heavy friction. Therefore they specialized in garments for aviators, bikers, army and for anyone living an active life outdoor. Together with protective clothing Belstaff also began to make goggles, gloves, boots, helmets and bags, all designed and evolved over the years to guarantee total protection and safety.
The famous Trialmaster jacket has been worn by generations of motorcycle enthusiasts from famous champions such as Sammy Miller with his record 1,250 victories, and Phil Read, who always wore it when competing in Grand Prix races in wet weather, to legendary names such as Ernesto Che Guevara who used it during his motorcycle journey across Latin America.
In 1943 the famous "Black Prince Motorcycle Jacket" was created, the best-selling waterproof jacket of all time. For about forty years, over 40,000 of these were produced annually in the purpose-built Silverdale factory. The traditional manufacturing processes was retained out of love and respect for the English tradition, which is why Belstaff jackets hold their value. Jackets from the 1950's and 1960's are keenly sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts and are kept as trophies by true motorcyclists.
Belstaff today is the only garment manufacturer producing high technology jackets in 100% natural fabrics. The synthetic materials sector is, however, by no means disregarded by Belstaff. In the 1970's, the famous XL500 jacket was created using a specially developed nylon textile known as Belflex. Belflex's qualities of wearability, resilience and durability are still unsurpassed today. The XL500 is still the best seller; essential, hard-wearing, totally waterproof, and infinitely durable. Put to the test by thousands of motorcyclists throughout the world, it has all the essentials - but nothing superfluous - protecting the motorcyclist from the elements.
At the start of the 1990's, Belstaff presented its new "Evolution" range, another milestone in the history of motorcycle wear. Unfortunately the English textile industry crisis involved Belstaff as well, who were obliged to close the Stoke-on-Trent factory in 1991. Everything seem to be over, but, thanks to some clients and some technicians firm intention not to let the Mythos die, the production went on in a factory in Wellimborough, even if strongly reduced in quantities. Responsibility of collection design was given to Franco Malenotti.
In 1994, the Nylon fabric "Belfresh" was created. This is exceptionally absorbent while allowing perspiration to be eliminated. It is therefore ideal for hot weather. In 1995 Beltech was developed. This veritable "protection System" offers top performance in terms of waterproofing, breathability and protection from the elements. It will make history. In 1996 Franco Malenotti founded Clothing Company in order to speed up Belstaff return to the tops. The response was immediate and the sales increased very quickly. In 1999, the first fabric with external metal protection was introduced, Ironguard. In the same year, jackets in the .Stratos. series made from a combination of textiles with different characteristics were developed for protection in hotter climates. In 2000, Belstaff introduced the .Reacta. concept, a protection System able to stabilise temperature in all conditions of use. In 2002, the joint venture with the Italian company began to bear fruit also at European level and Belstaff regained an high profile in markets where for many years it had been the uncontested leader. The Bags & Shoes Division was set up in the same year and soon became independent, achieving remarkable success. At the same time, the .Black Prince by Belstaff. Collection was relaunched for a younger target. In 2003 Belstaff conducted a study together with a well known Italian textile factory for the production of safety jackets for special forces. This led to the creation of Balistic Fabric, a high-performance fabric that was an immediate market success. In order to improve comfort and fit, Belstaff also developed and patented a special seam system called .Elastoseam®. with elasticated and waterproof Cordura inserts, that allow garments to follow the wearer.s most dynamic movements. The match between the .Elastoseam®. system and .Balistic Fabric. paved the way to the .Delta Force. collection: exceptional-performance jackets and blouson. In the same year, Belstaff developed products that used the unique qualities of leather and of the .Elastoseam®. system to provide extraordinary protection and comfort: the .Ergonomic Leather Collection.
In 2003 Belstaff together with George Clooney, a keen biker, promoted an European campaign for the diffusion of cardiologic first aid on two wheels.
In 2004, Belstaff International Ltd was taken over by the Clothing Company. This was also the year in which Belstaff celebrated its 80th anniversary with the launch of a special collection, the 80th Anniversary Collection. In the same year, Belstaff introduced a ultralight and strong Nylon fabric with the patented .Diablo. weave, used for the Extralight Collection; waterproof and perfectly breathable jackets designed for summer wear. At the same time, .Black Prince by Belstaff. sponsored the .Telefonica Movistar Honda Team. with riders Sete Gibernau and Colin Edwards set to win the Moto GP world championships. At the end of the year Sete will qualify second in the world and the following year Marco Melandri gained the second place.
During that period, Belstaff.s apparel aroused a great deal of interest in the USA and the garments were continually requested for many of the most popular films, such as .Batman Begins., .Blade Trinity., .The Interpreter., .Tomb Raider II., .Ocean.s Twelve., .War of the Worlds. to mention just a few. The .Aviator by Belstaff. Collection, inspired by original apparel in Belstaff.s museum, has been launched in 2005. This clothing was made in the 1930.s and 1940.s to protect aviators in extreme weather conditions. The .Aviator by Belstaff. Collection, made with respect for the original materials to ensure maximum authenticity, were chosen by Miramax for the costumes of the film .The Aviator. starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese.
In the same year, through a collaborative effort with a leading weaving mill, Belstaff developed the Cotfort® material: a fabric made from a blend of very fine, high-quality cotton, Nylon and Elastan fibres offering exceptional coolness, strength and stretch.
The Ballistic Fabric from the Delta Force collection was used in 2006 to make the extraordinary M Blouson, as worn by Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 3 and which he personally put through unbelievable wear and tear. Other famous stars, including Nicole Kidman (The Interpreter), Mark Wahlberg (Four Brothers), Scarlett Johansson (Match Point), James Marsden (X Men 3), Tom Hanks (The Da Vinci Code), Ewan McGregor (Stormbreaker) and many others also rely on the quality of Belstaff products for their image and protection.
Kevin Spacey too, in Superman Returns, in the role of Lex Luthor, Superman.s great enemy, turned to Belstaff who, with the costume designer Louise Mingenbach, produced the costumes for the most daring action scenes. Famous singers such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Jamie Foxx, Ciara and Black Eyed Peas use Belstaff items in their private life and in the video clips most frequently aired.
Belstaff has achieved worldwide success with the opening of such markets as Japan, the far east, Russia and US, Australia and South America.
In the meantime the Bags and Shoes Division, which started up in 2004, and the Eyewear Division, which came into operation in 2005, are achieving considerable success in terms of sales.
The opening of a flagship store in the London west end marks the .return. of Belstaff to the top: The ancient Phoenix legend, represented on the company logo, continues and the re-birth is complete.
Major film production companies once again called on Belstaff for costumes in 2005 and 2006. The Departed, with Leonardo DiCaprio, and X Men The Last Stand were just two of the productions in which Belstaff was involved. Belstaff returned to the Pure Motorcycle sector in 2005, after many years. absence, with a collection intended for leading technical motorcycling apparel stores. The collectio'.s great success gave pominence to the return of this top brand.
A major new international patent was presented in this sector in 2006: Q.A.S (Quick Adjustment System®) by which, through the use of special, sliding wheels, garments can be instantly adjusted to suit their use. Belstaff remains the only custodian of the tradition of waterproof and protective motorcycle wear. A wealth of new and old knowledge, technique, fashion and design.
The return of a memorable biking adventure
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman set out again on LONG WAY DOWN.
After their first, great LONG WAY ROUND trial from London to New York, the two men are ready for a new challenge. This time they’ll ride their bikes from Scotland down to South Africa. A distance of over 15,000 miles, starting at John O’Groats, Scotland, and finishing at Cape Agulhas, on the southern tip of South Africa.
They’ll travel through more than 20 nations before reaching their destination: Libya, the barren desert of Sudan and Ethiopia’s tribal lands. From the Ugandan jungle to Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana and on to Namibia’s wild, spectacular keleton Coast.
After dressing the two riders for their first adventure, this time Belstaff have designed a new kind of jacket for true explorers.
Belstaff have been the leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech, practical apparel for over eighty years. Ewan and Charley worked in concert with Belstaff to create a new, exclusive model, called “Long Way Down Jacket”.
The jacket is made of three different components, allowing the two men to tackle all the many weather extremes they’ll face from start to finish. Cordura 1500 was chosen as the shell to protect the men in the case of falls or sudden impact. This fabric performs magnificently at low temperatures and is ideal for European climates. The inner part consists of a jacket made from a special, extra-strong mesh with a breathable, water-resistant nylon outer layer.
Wearing this jacket, Ewan and Charley will be able to deal with the two extremes of African weather – baking heat and torrential rain.
