Belstaff
 | |
| Industry | Clothing |
|---|---|
| Founded | Longton, Staffordshire, UK (1924) |
| Founder | Eli Belovitch and Harry Grosberg |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Parent | JAB Luxury GmbH[1] |
| Website |
www |
Belstaff, a British brand, founded in Longton, Staffordshire in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg – the name is a combination of Eli's surname and his Staffordshire home. Belstaff became the first company to use wax cotton in the manufacturing of waterproof apparel for motorcycling.[2]
In 2011, The Labelux group acquired Belstaff and repositioned it as a British heritage brand centred on luxury sportswear.[3] Tommy Hilfiger was brought in as a business consultant.[4] In July 2014, along with Jimmy Choo and Bally, Belstaff was fully integrated into its parent group JAB Luxury GmbH. JAB management now directly oversee the brand.[1]
History
Founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg in Staffordshire, Belstaff produced all-weather jackets for motorcyclists.
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 effected by the textile crisis of the 1990s precipitating the closure of the Longton Stoke-on-Trent factory after previously closing its Silverdale site.[5]
In 2006, Kate Moss featured in advertising campaigns for which she was reported to have been paid $1million.[6]
In June 2011, Harry Slatkin along with The Labelux Group, acquired Belstaff.[7] Slatkin assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer and, in July 2011, appointed Martin Cooper as Chief Creative Officer and together, they planned to transform the brand.[8]
In 2012 the company opened stores in Via della Spiga Milan, in New Bond Street London and on Madison Avenue, New York City. The interiors were designed by Bill Sofield.[9]
In 2015, Belstaff produced a short film in partnership with Legs Media and, executively produced by Liv Tyler, called OUTLAWS. The film featured David Beckham in his first ever serious film role and co-starred Harvey Keitel, Katherine Waterston and Cathy Moriarty.[10]
In 2016, Belstaff produced a short film, starring Liv Tyler called Falling Up, where she retraces the footsteps of 1920s aviator Amelia Earhart, one of the first women Belstaff dressed. In her role as Brand Ambassador and Creative Contributor, Tyler also collaborated on a capsule collection baring her name for AW16.[11][12]
References
- 1 2 JAB Holdings takes direct control of Jimmy Choo and Belstaff, 1 July 2014, retrieved 27 July 2016
- ↑ English, Andrew (16 September 2011). "Goodwood Revival 2011: Belstaff and Barbour". Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ↑ Genevieve Roberts (29 January 2012). "Belstaff, the stars' favourite, returns to rugged British roots > Belstaff". The Independent. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ Ella Alexander (15 June 2011). "Tommy's New Job > Belstaff". Vogue.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Anthony Bunn: Belstaff's Stoke-on-Trent origins". Stoke Sentinel. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ↑ metrowebukmetro (2006-07-17). "Kate goes hell for leather". Metro. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ↑ Skip to top of this page. "Brands > Belstaff". Labelux Group. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. 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.
- ↑ "Beckham makes lead role debut for Belstaff – but acting career isn't on the cards". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
- ↑ "Falling Up: Liv Tyler stars in Belstaff film-Telegraph". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
- ↑ Jones, Nina (2016-02-22). "Liv Tyler Previews Belstaff Collection". WWD. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
Notes
- 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.