Belstaff
 | |
| Industry | Clothing |
|---|---|
| Founded | Longton, Staffordshire, UK (1924) |
| Founder(s) | Eli Belovitch and Harry Grosberg |
| Headquarters | Milan, Italy |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | Labelux Group GmbH[1] |
| Website | www.belstaff.com |
Belstaff, a British brand, founded in Longton, Staffordshire in 1924, is a garment manufacturer best known for producing waterproof jackets. The company is now Italian-owned and based in Mogliano Veneto.
History
Founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg in Staffordshire, Belstaff produced all-weather jackets for motorcyclists. The company later created weather-protective jackets for other uses, goggles (primarily for the growing aviation market), gloves and several other garments intended to keep the wearer warm, dry and safe.
Belstaff became a subsidiary of James Halstead in 1948–a company also responsible in later years for the success of the Australian brand Driza-Bone.
In the 1980s, Belstaff diversified into the golf wear market.
The company was hit hard by the textile crisis of the 1990s precipitating the closure of the Longton Stoke-on-Trent factory after previously closing its Silverdale site. Moving to Wellingborough, production was vastly reduced. The range was also manufactured in Australia by a sister company Driza-Bone. The company grew again and in 1994 introduced Belfresh, a waterproof/breathable fabric.
In June 2011, Harry Slatkin along with The Labelux Group, acquired Belstaff.[2] Slatkin assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and, in July 2011, appointed Martin Cooper as Chief Creative Officer and together, they plan to transform the brand.[3]
In 2012 the company will open three stores in Via della Spiga Milan, in New Bond Street London and Madison Avenue, New York. The interiors are being designed by Bill Sofield.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Deeny, Godfrey (10 June 2011), "Labelex Buys Belstaff", Fashion Wire Daily (New York), retrieved 21 June 2011
- ↑ Skip to top of this page. "Brands > Belstaff". Labelux Group. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ↑ post a comment › (2012-02-19). "Belstaff Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com: Runway Review". Style.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ↑ 24 febbraio 2012. "Belstaff: location, just prime ones - Moda 24". Moda24.ilsole24ore.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
References
- Ian, Burrell (9 January 2010). "How did an old-fashioned British manufacturer of motorbike clobber become the label of choice for the Hollywood set?". The Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2010.