Belstaff is pleased to announce a new collection of denim designed in collaboration with London-based atelier Blackhorse Lane. Belstaff’s “built for life” design philosophy is shared with Blackhorse Lane, who manufacture selvedge and organic raw denim garments with a focus on sustainability, community and unrivalled quality. The denim jeans, jackets and bag for men and women will be launching this spring.
Blackhorse Lane Ateliers was founded in April 2016 by Han Ates, who channelled his 25 years of experience in the textile industry into the manufacturing of world-class denim pieces, fashioned from the finest materials, made locally and eco-consciously – a first for a contemporary London-based denim brand.
Using only organic cotton and denim woven in Europe, the atelier minimises the environmental impact of the creation of the raw materials. This collection is all crafted from 14oz. Redline Selvedge denim from ISKO. As the world’s leading denim brand, ISKO has revolutionised the denim industry with its patented technologies. The company uses environmentally friendly processes and production techniques. The denim’s carbon footprint is low as it is milled very close to where it’s grown. It is then produced on shuttle looms from the 1960s, creating the best quality fabric; this focus on craftsmanship and quality is continued by the Blackhorse Lane makers.
The collection includes the men’s Union jacket, a classic trucker silhouette, and the Union jean, a mid-rise, straight-leg silhouette with a selvedge outside leg seam. The women’s Marilyn jacket adds a feminine fit to our trucker silhouette, while the Marilyn jean is a high-rise, tapered-leg silhouette. The unisex Union bag includes a natural herringbone pocket with a natural cotton webbing shoulder strap and zip closure. The collection features copper rivets, co-branded buttons, natural herringbone internal waistbands and cognac leather patches with dual branding. One of Belstaff’s oldest logos is referenced in this collection with the Bell and Staff graphic, combined with the Blackhorse Lane Atelier’s logo. The jacket and jeans feature a pocket flasher that references a heritage Belstaff swing-tag from the 1950s.
The collection is built for life. Selvedge denim is one of the most hardwearing materials and yet is made with a soft hand. It ages particularly well, often getting better over time as the denim is worn in, taking in the marks and movements of its owner. Belstaff will showcase how to care for this denim to ensure the jeans last the test of time, with tutorials and information shared on social channels and online. This community-first approach is shared with Blackhorse Lane.
Belstaff’s Creative Director, Sean Lehnhardt-Moore says of the collaboration: “Belstaff is proud to work with Blackhorse Lane Ateliers in London on an exciting new range of selvedge denim. Tailoring innovation meets heritage construction with a focus on style, sustainability and unmatched quality. We too believe their jeans, jackets and bags are the some of the best in class and we are excited about this union.”
Han Ates, founder of Blackhorse Lane Atelier says: “Craftsmanship is the beginning of everything. An appreciation for heritage and respect for our communities is something we share with Belstaff. With production having to slow last year during the lockdowns we had to work with a smaller team who took over seven months to carefully produce the collection by hand, something we are very proud of and we look forward to continuing our work with Belstaff in the future.”
