Belstaff
Eli Belovitch & Harry Grosberg
Belstaff is an English company founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son in law Harry Grosberg in Stoke on Kent, in Staffordshire. The company is now Italian-owned and based in Mogliano Veneto. For the company logo a portrait of a Phenix rising up as chosen as a symbol of the continuity through the times in the good and bad fate. The original product line consisted of waterproof garments for men and woman. 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 ï¿½Wax Cottonï¿½. This is an Egyptian cotton processed with natural oils that let it breathe easily and is still waterproof. The firm has always specialized in the production of technical garments for motorcyclists. During the thirties the company 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. Belstaff became a subsidiary of James Halstead in 1948ï¿½a company also famous in later years for the success of the Australian brand Driza-Bone. The firm's 75th anniversary signals a strong return to the American market by a brand considered the most long-established in clothing for bikers, together with Harley Davidson. 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. Responsibility of collection design was given to Franco Malenotti. 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 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 2002, the joint venture with the Italian company began to bear fruit also at European level and Belstaff regained a high profile in markets where for many years it had been the uncontested leader. The Bags / Shoes Division were set up in the same year and soon became independent, achieving remarkable success. At the same time, the ï¿½Black Prince by Belstaffï¿½ Collection was relaunched for a younger target. In 2004, Belstaff International Ltd was taken over by the Clothing Company. In February 2005, Belstaff made a decisive entry into the world of fashion, making its dï¿½but on the runways in Milan. Belstaff has achieved worldwide success with the opening of such markets as Japan, the far east, Russia and US, Australia and South America. The opening of a flagship store in the London west end marks the ï¿½returnï¿½ of Belstaff to the top.
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Eli Belovitch