LUXURY clothing brand Belstaff is proud to announce it will celebrate its first centenary throughout 2024, with a new book, capsule collection and series of activations. 

Publishing on March 1, Belstaff: Our First 100 Years is edited by Jodie Harrison, brand director of Belstaff, and writer Charlie Porter. 

The book details the full history of this British legacy brand, tracking its development from industrial innovators in the north of England to the leaders in motorcycle and outdoor gear. 
Belstaff: Our First 100 Years captures the independent spirit and tenacity that continues to shape the brand today.

The Herald:

The coffee-table book is based on extensive research by the authors and features previously unseen imagery, telling the full history of Belstaff for the first time. 

Eyewitness testimony comes from interviews with motorcycle legend Sammy Miller MBE and mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, both past collaborators with Belstaff. 

Iconic and highly collected archival pieces – such as a Trialmaster jacket worn by Steve McQueen in the late 1960s, and some of the world’s earliest surviving outerwear pieces from the early 1930s - are photographed in full detail. 

Belstaff’s deep connection to motorcycling is explored through fresh reportage from the Scottish Six Days Trial and the Isle of Man TT Races, as well as a deep dive essay into the history and enduring appeal of the motorcycle jacket. 

The Herald:

Meanwhile, Belstaff’s hidden histories are uncovered and retold, from the key details of its early years to its role providing protective service wear to the British military, police, air traffic control and beyond. 

Throughout, there’s a focus on design, whether it’s the technical specifics of Belstaff’s hero pieces, or the evolution across decades of Belstaff’s branding. 

Always, people are at the heart of the book, whether it’s those that worked at Belstaff’s factories in the north of England, members of the public sharing their favourite memories of the brand, or the collectors who keep hunting for long-lost and rare Belstaff classics. 

The Herald:

Charlie Porter said: “This is a book founded on research, particularly in libraries, archives and private collections. It’s about bringing to light the hidden history of a brand, and the ways that specialist clothing became part of the fashion we all wear.” 

Jodie Harrison, Belstaff Brand Director: “Re-curating Belstaff’s true history for the first time has been a total privilege for me. 

“It’s not often you get to dig deep on the moments and developments that have combined to make a legacy brand like this. A lot has been said and written about Belstaff over the last 100 years, we just hope this book illustrates that there’s so much more that’s been unsaid until now.”
www.belstaff.com/uk

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BELSTAFF: A BRIEF HISTORY

FOUNDED in 1924, Belstaff is a modern British heritage brand with a rich history of moving people forward and equipping them with lasting apparel for life’s pursuits. 

Over the decades, Belstaff has created protective suits for race-car drivers so they had the confidence to go faster, wind-proof smocks for Marines to help them weather the storm, and insulating clothing for mountaineers so they could venture further. 

One thing is at the heart of all of these endeavours: an independent spirit. Favoured by renegades and novel thinkers, the brand’s community has a collective need to do things differently.