The prelude to the women’s Summer collection draws inspiration from Wheels and Waves, a biker festival held in June in the French seaside town of Biarritz.
The gathering draws bikers and surfers alike, and it is this coming together of two cultures that is at the heart of the collection.
At first glance these two worlds might seem incongruent, but they share the very same ideals, albeit on different surfaces: freedom, adventure, speed, and spontaneity.
The collection then is the embodiment of these free-spirited values, bringing together the raw elements of surf culture and seamlessly weaving them into the motorcycle heritage that Belstaff is so known for.
WAXED COTTON
Diversity of weights and finishes makes this season’s waxed cotton offerings incredibly versatile in a variety of climates. While classic silhouettes have been updated in the traditional 6oz weight, a new lighter 4oz waxed cotton has also been introduced. Both wet and dry touches are offered in a number of brighter spring colours.
The Roadmaster has been refitted for greater movement and dynamicity, while the new Pathmaster is a sporty, urban and undeniably feminine addition to the waxed-cotton genre. Belstaff also introduced the Tourmaster, an easy fitting silhouette, along with a lightweight 4oz summer parka. Silver hardware such as button details and snaps run throughout the new collection.
QUILTS
Belstaff continues to explore the quilts genre by adopting modern interpretations of heritage styles. New shapes mirror the men’s collection but have been revised to be more openly feminine. Waistcoats come zipper-fronted with a rib collar and in a variety of spring colours, plus in a conceptual camo print shared with the men’s collection and evoking Belstaff’s military heritage. There is also a new biker quilt which closer references the brand’s iconic hand-waxed leather blousons, making it an especially unique, directional and contemporary reinvention of a trans-seasonal classic.
RIDER COAT
Taken from archive pieces from the 1930s, the original rain-proof coat for motorcycle riders has been reinterpreted in two lengths for women, both in keeping with the classic Storm coat style. While the elemental details remain the same, Belstaff has revised the volume and swapped the buttons for silver snaps, rendering it fresher and more feminine. Another expansion of the Rider style is the shorter, more relaxed Colonel, incorporating a technical drawstring with toggles round the waist and a flap
LEATHER
As with the quilts, this season’s leather offerings mirror the men’s styles but have a softer biker reference, allowing for a more feminine shape. Engel & Mollison, Belstaff’s entry price blouson, has been reconstructed to make it lighter and softer, while a new and easy-to-wear brick colour has been introduced this season.
SPORTSWEAR
Incorporating modern sportswear elements is a key feature of this collection, with direct references to surfing and diving fabrications as well as body contours. Leather has been perforated and reimagined in a scuba-style shape – as in a punched mini skirt with pockets and a 60s-inspired scooter jacket – and in places comes bonded with neoprene. Neoprene has also been repurposed in the form of punched lace – an utterly modern and technical achievement.
KNITWEAR
The concept of sportswear fabrication and styling also runs throughout the knitwear collection, making it a very directional offering to be worn as outerwear.
PATTERNS & PRINTS
This collection’s patterns and prints have at their core a nautical inspiration. Lines in the sand left at low tide have been used to provide a subtle wavy pattern through quilts, waxes and leather, while a modernist patchwork of soft pastel blues (from royal and navy to turquoise and ultramarine) is a strong concept in outerwear, standing in contrast to a much more delineated broken-shard print which references watery reflection elements.
