BELSTAFF

British motorcycle and adventure-wear brand founded in 1924 in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg — the name combines theirs with the Staffordshire location. Belstaff pioneered the use of waxed cotton for waterproof motorcycle clothing; the early Black Prince jacket sold over 40,000 units by 1943. The Trialmaster jacket, launched in 1954 and made famous on Sammy Miller's bike and later by Steve McQueen, became an icon. Belstaff became a subsidiary of James Halstead in 1948. Hit by the 1990s textile crisis, the Longton factory eventually closed; the brand was sold in 2004 to Franco Malenotti's Sponsor SA in Italy and production shifted overseas. INEOS acquired Belstaff in 2017 and relaunched a 'Made in UK' capsule at London Fashion Week in 2018. In August 2025 INEOS sold Belstaff to British sportswear group Castore (also in this directory) as part of a wider INEOS investment in Castore.