Belstaff AW19 Collection at London Fashion Week Men's

This collection is all about bringing it home. About honouring the roots of Belstaff and exploring the incredible journey it’s been on from the 1920s in the industrial north of England in Stoke-on-Trent – from outfitting early motorcyclists and aviators, and making uniforms – to today, dressing our twenty-first century customers in evolved British designs that are built for life and dedicated to all those who love the spirit of adventure.” Sean Lehnhardt-Moore, Creative Director The Autumn/Winter 2019 Belstaff Collection is the first by Creative Director Sean Lehnhardt-Moore, and reflects his love of the roots of the brand.

OUTWARD BOUND The Scene In the 1920s, Belstaff made protective travelling gear which resulted in a Great British Waterproofs collection developed with British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington in the 1970s.
Colour palette of  chestnut, indigo and the new Belstaff red colour. The hooded Wing Jacket comes in a new fabric for Belstaff: a dry waxed cotton with a canvas feel.

The Shearling Car Coat in chestnut teamed with lightweight fisherman’s ribbed roll necks in oatmeal lambswool,

DOCKLAND The Scene Belstaff has a long connection with the military, particularly with the Navy, making uniforms and more extreme protective kit. The Belstaff Foul Weather Parka was created for the Royal Navy in the 1970s.
Key colours are navy,dark indigo and a presence of silver and olive. Key fabric is wool Melton.
 A long military-style double-breasted woollen trench coat (the Milford) has officer class, while a p-coat in a similar style (the Naval P-Coat) is more casual.

The Indigo Racemaster and Indigo Trialmaster jackets represent two iconic Belstaff motorcycle jacket styles reimagined in rinsed, dark denim bringing them right up-to-date.

A hybrid navy blue technical jacket combines nylon and wool Melton, fusing past codes with modern ones

 THE MACHINE AGE Belstaff equipped drivers, aviators and motorcyclists. All had a love of the machines that enabled them to have new adventures. Above all, it was those on two wheels who came to really adopt Belstaff. Over the years, many notable motorcyclists have worn the gear produced by the Stoke-on-Trent brand, from Che Guevara, TE Lawrence (of Arabia) and Steve McQueen in years gone by to contemporary bikers such as Ewan McGregor, Charlie Boorman and David Beckham.
Principle colours here are black, bone and blackberry.
The Patrol Jacket is in black waxed cotton with a black shearling collar

While the khaki double-faced cotton Garrison Trench Coat is hard wearing with waterproof sealed seams.

As befits a collection that is always engineered, the black leather biker boots are supremely tough, with straps and brass buckles, and belts in thick raw uncoloured leather with brass harness fastenings.

NORTHERN GRIT; Founded in Stoke-on-Trent in the 1920s, Belstaff was forged in an atmosphere of industrial development in an area dominated by potteries and coal mining. Its founder had supplied technical fabrics and waterproof materials to local factories to make capes and groundsheets for the British Army during the First World War,
Colours are black, brown and charcoal grey, in leather, wool and shearling, giving a handcrafted look. The Vincent Biker Jacket (named after the Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle) combines black and brown leather,

As does the Danescroft Jacket, a black flight jacket with brown shearling interior and antique brass trim. Black cable knit woollen jumpers take inspiration from Scottish and Irish cable designs and appear handmade.

The Trail Jacket, a hybrid black wool Melton style, with a detachable black shearling collar and black corduroy trim, references uniforms belonging to the forces of land, sea and sky.

Belstaff AW18 collection at London Fashion Week Men's

Delphine Ninous, Belstaff's Creative Director, found her seasonal inspiration looking into English subcultures: “I started looking at youth movements since the 1950s, referencing the vitality and energy of sub-cultures such as the mods, punks, rockers and skins, who all in very different ways sought to express an inter-generational clash though music and fashion. As I discovered through the Archive many were wearing our iconic jackets and customising them. This season these themes are played out in our iconic silhouettes such as the field jacket, parka, biker and bomber. We wanted to celebrate our heritage but also shine a light on our spirit of innovation whilst remaining modern and looking to our future.”

Waved Cotton Belstaff’s heritage silhouettes have all been updated for AW18 in a palette of deep hues including earthy greens, muddy blues, oxblood and copper. 

New for this season is a tumbled coated cotton that creates a graphite effect with a barely there sparkle in Harrington, Rebel Motorbike and Trialmaster silhouettes.Detail patches usually seen on the inside of army jackets now appear stitched on the exterior, alongside reflective taping. The lining directly references the red check from the punk era to evoke a sense of customisation and individuality. This group of jackets will be made entirely in the UK. 

 Belstaff continues to evolve the parka style - Both long and short styles come with coyote fur or shearling-lined hoods, while a deep-winter version affords extra protection and warmth in the way of wadding.

 ‘Explorer’ versions in a bold red and orange and filled with a heavy down offer excellent functionality, while a more fashion-focused style for men features a coat with a graphic matt-black diagonal bonding stripe and a short removable parka lining.

 Bombers are a key genre this season and as such have been further expanded with new styles in leather, shearling, along with more technical lightweight nylon.

 A padded bomber with contrast orange lining evokes the classic military bomber styles of the 1960s which were widely appropriated by Britain’s youth cultures who repurposed them from Army surplus stores

 A leather moto jacket comes with painted white sleeves, white zippers and red lining, referencing the customisation of punk movements..

Rich, warm shearling has been applied to all of Belstaff’s classic silhouettes together with a new four-pocket silhouette.

 A real showpiece is the; mid-length shearling jacket in a deep olive green with black bonded taping details on the shoulders that completely reverses to show a rich shearling fur exterior

Sportswear and Jersey -  a continuation of the SS18 tracksuit style sees more muted autumnal hues with updated piping details. Men’s jersey comes with rubberised logo elements in a neoprene-style fabric. T-shirts with graphic prints inspired by music bands of the era.

Footwear -  military styles dominate - a  rugged black combat style adorned with contrasting white laces.,

Belstaff SS18 Menswear at London Fashion Week:Men

Inspired by the riders of the Paris to Dakar rally.

Travelling through extreme conditions it was in these unchartered territories that riders encountered many different cultures, climates and terrains which translates in to the collection, mixing modern performance fabrics with retro sports graphics and prints.

A Prince of Wales check coat is rendered in technical nylon rather than the traditional wool for a modern and multi seasonal take on a classic pattern

The collection also captures the romance of the North African landscape through a colour palette ranging from soft sun bleached hues of sand and tundra, scorched earth colours of brown, vibrant  copper and saffron to the stronger tones of the African sunset such as burnt orange and red.

All complemented with soft sage green, ash rose and blue chambray pastels.

Sportswear takes its cue from the early 80s with solid blues, reds and yellows.

Denim - this season sees the introduction of stressing, patchwork and eyelet elements.

BELSTAFF'S FIRST REVEAL OF ARCHIVE IN LONDON FLAGSHIP

Belstaff has been quietly curating and building its Archive in preparation for the brand’s Centenary in 2024.

1950's Trashed leather biker jacket

Over the 30 months since the company moved its headquarters back to London, the Archive has been grown to an incredible 150 pieces, covering the most significant and prolific of the brand’s themes, namely aviation, military, naval and moto. The Archive also showcases Belstaff's long tradition for developing innovative materials.

1970's Plainsman leather biker jacket

Some truly incredible pieces have been discovered: a 1930s flying suit with Belstaff’s first factory name (Middleton) emblazoned across its back;

a WWII map case dated 1944; and a 1920s tent (interestingly, the term 'Bell tent' derived from the original spelling of “Bellstaff” and its logo of a bell).

Then there are more recent exciting additions such as the myriad four-pocket wax-cotton jackets from different eras, in an array of different colours, patinas, linings and labels – but the essential design forever remaining the same.

1960's Trailmaster professional waxed cotton biker jacket

This London Fashion Week sees the first reveal of a part of the Archive, with a small exposition in the New Bond Street flagship telling the story of Belstaff and Leather, being such a key material for the brand. This theme supports Belstaff’s over-arching Leather campaign running concurrently in the store, windows and online. The exposition furthers the idea that a Belstaff leather jacket is a second skin, an extension of oneself providing protection, comfort and confidence, and hence the brand’s tagline “Outerwear for Inner Strength”.
 A special stand has been created to exhibit the Archive, which can be transported between stores or other destinations, built up or down. This drive follows the success of Isetan’s pop-up in Tokyo last November, in which five of Belstaff’s key archive pieces were displayed as part of their British Week exhibition.

1970's leather racing suit

During London Fashion Week, the stand will display iconic pieces showing the history of the brand’s usage of leather, from protection in the 30s, through the moto-culture of the 50s, to the 70s, with a part specifically dedicated to Belstaff’s coloured and striped leathers from that era, which, along with the seminal 1971 film “On Any Sunday” starring Steve McQueen, inspired the current SS17 men’s and women’s fashion collections dropping in store now.
Additionally, there will be a rail of unique curated vintage pieces for sale alongside the exhibit.

1970's blue leather biker jacket

Belstaff Men's AW17 Presentation 'Jolly Roger' at London Fashion Week

For Autumn/Winter 17, Menswear  military heritage: the “Jolly Roger” naval and submariner inspired collection is both tribute and testament to the incredible clothing worn by the British Royal Navy throughout WWII.

It had to endure the harshest of conditions while at sea, protecting sailors, boatswains and submariners alike, and it was upon the ocean that the genesis of the four-pocket waxed cotton motorcycle jacket was born.

 The collection then interprets the harsh realities of life at sea through colour, fabric diversity and an array of special vintage wax treatments for a worn-in look.
 Classic maritime silhouettes such as the pea coat and duffle coat have been faithfully reproduced in luxury Melton wool, while waterproof hand-waxed cotton and leather reinforce the stylish functionality of naval outerwear.

 

The parka plays an integral role this season, emphasised by a technical foul-weather version based on a Belstaff archive piece that was created for the military in 1960.

Colour palette focuses on industrial tones of red, brown, blue and military green, particularly throughout Belstaff’s core pieces. Charcoal grey, black and true navy form a base from which emerge brighter hues such as spruce teal, sanderling, cardinal red and burnished gold.

 In leather and waxed cotton, colours have been given an aged effect for a unique patina.

Tattoos have always been a naval tradition, not just in the British Royal Navy but also in the US Navy. Belstaff have incorporated this heritage of symbolism in two distinct styles. The first is a more edgy reproduction of classic naval tattoos such as the swallow (which signifies a sailor accomplishing 5000 nautical miles out at sea) and the anchor. Placed randomly across a variety of garments, they have been designed in the rich and vibrant style of “Sailor Jerry”, a prolific tattoo artist who etched his trade in the red light district of Honolulu during WWII. These motifs have also been extrapolated to form a more feminine lace-like graphic resembling body art. Lastly, the iconic Jolly Roger flag, which was raised by victorious submarines on their return to harbour has also been applied to elements of the collection. Tattoo emblems and the Jolly Roger appear across men’s and women’s on leather, wax, knitwear, sweats, tees and shirting.

Belstaff Unveils New Brand Campaign

Belstaff unveils its new brand campaign called  “Here Be Dragons”, which holds Belstaff's spirit of adventure right at its core.

 The spot brings to life a phrase used when mankind first mapped the world. Unknown places were marked with the statement ‘Here Be Dragons’ to put fear into any would-be adventurers. But this threat only drove people to actively seek out these places, to go beyond their confines and discover the unknown. It became a challenge many were entreated to overcome.

This is the essence of the “Here Be Dragons” campaign, which aims to inspire audiences to go beyond the limitations they may place around themselves and see those boundaries as invitations to where to head to next.
The brand’s return and re-embracement of its roots was celebrated by twelve-time Trial World Champion Dougie Lampkin MBE performing his famous two-wheel routines (bike stunts) in front of the Longton board.

 Photographer;  Christian Weber,
Iconic model Mark Vanderloo was persuaded to come out of retirement, and alongside breakthrough Serbian model Mijo Mihaljcic, the pair were photographed in rugged landscapes that appear uncharted; the sorts of far-flung places that would be hard to reach unless one’s instincts took them beyond their comfort zone.

The models were on a journey themselves – both stating it was the toughest yet most exciting modelling assignment they’d experienced - interacting with their surroundings, as the clothes they were wearing were intended to protect against.