Motorcycle racing is at the heart of the Belstaff heritage. The company can brag about such gets as Che Guevara, who wore Belstaff on his trip through South America, the one movie magic waved its wand over to give us The Motorcycle Diaries. Its soundtrack scored the show.
Well aware of the slim segment of the populace who share a love of designer fashion and a commitment to motorcyclery, designer Martin Cooper focuses his attention on travel rather than riding, per se. In researching his collections, he found vintage travel cases and luggage and incorporated many of their leather belts into the collection's pigment-printed linen jackets and multi-strap sandals. Even the jackets that mark the beginnings of a Belstaff tailoring program have snapping safari pockets and loops waiting for a Saharienne belt.
The fabrications are no laughing matter. Luxury is paramount. Che might not approve, but Belstaff's moto pant in 2012 comes in supple suede. Cooper's version of the classic Trialmaster jacket is cut in white croc. Given this richness, there's room to move forward by loosening the grip on the heritage a bit. Literalism is limiting; lifestyle you can take to the bank. Just ask Burberry, Cooper's former employer of 16 years, which spun its trench story into gold. But there's enough good stuff here to suggest that his current one, given a little goosing, could follow suit.
