| The Malenotti impact... | The son of acclaimed film director Maleno, Franco Malenotti and his two sons helped restore Belstaff to its former glories when they stepped into purchase the company's licence in 1991. His experience as a motorcycle designer helped push the company's marketing and now, after purchasing the full ownership in 2004, Belstaff is back in rude health. |
Right, let's think of those glamorous style capitals of the world... New York, yes; Milan, yes; Paris, definitely; Stoke-on-Trent?! Hang on a minute I hear you say, but hear me out... Staffordshire's one major contribution to the fashion world does come from Stoke-on-Trent, and that's Belstaff... So who are they? Well, the name Belstaff will mean something different to many people. When founder Harry Grosberg started out in Longton in 1924, they made waterproof jackets - the sort of thing you might go walking in or even just to keep you dry while you're out. So they started out in Stoke-on-Trent? Yes, and they're actually still here. Their factory in Victoria Place still continues to produce garments. But it nearly wasn't quite so simple as that. In the early 1990's Belstaff was close to folding, but the Italian Malenotti family decided to step in and buy the company - and thankfully decided to keep hold of their Stoke-on-Trent factory, and maintain the link with the city.
 | | Longton - the birthplace of Belstaff |
There's even a museum where you can see some incredibly rare original Belstaff articles. Anyway, back to the history. After they'd been making these waterproofs, they decided to branch out into making all kinds of outdoor gear (like gloves, boots and goggles), using different fabrics such as waxed cotton and later (and most importantly) leather! So why was leather important? Well, part of the Belstaff appeal was in its 'iconic' status. The leather jackets they started to develop in the 1930's attracted motorcyclists. A bit like modern day footballers and their boots, the combination of successful riders in motorsport and a Belstaff leather developed the label's 'cool' factor. Many of the pilots in the Second World War were issued with a leather flying jacket (some of which would be Belstaff), not to mention goggles, flying helmet etc which Belstaff also manufactured. It was the best publicity the brand could ever imagine - these good looking, young, heroic fighter aces were wearing the jackets. And not a David Beckham in sight! After the war, cool cats like James Dean really pushed the style of the leather jacket further. It became a symbol of rebellion. Figures like Che Guevara actually wore Belstaff jackets, Guevara himself wore one all the away across South America on his motorcycle tour. Even today, the likes of Britney Spears, George Clooney and Kate Moss proudly boast a Belstaff in their vast wardrobes - while motorbike riders like Sete Gibernau (think the Manchester United of motorbike racing) have endorsed the label in recent years... Wow, that's impressive. Yep, and it doesn't stop there. Plenty of film makers have used their gear. Like 'Oceans Twelve', where the bag they nick the loot in is a Belstaff; Martin Scorscese's 'The Aviator' pitches Leonardo Di Caprio as a Belstaff-bedecked Howard Hughes, and countless others have used the brand in their films.Even Gucci have used Belstaff styles when designing their ranges! So next time you see that film star wearing a Belstaff, just remember that a little bit of Staffordshire history went into the making of it! | 
