Corporate body
·
1970-present
Issey Miyake (1938-2022) established his design studio in Tokyo in 1970. The men's collection was launched in 1976 and was given its own identity in 1978. Miyake menswear was designed by Naoki Takizawa from 1983 until 2007 when Dai Fujiwara became head designer for the company. For the Spring Summer 2012 collection the menswear label was rebranded as Issey Miyake Men, it was designed by Yusuke Takahasi from 2014 until January 2020. In July 2020 it was announced that the collection would be discontinued, though their HOMME PLISSÉ Issey Miyake line would still be produced.
Corporate body
·
2015-
Vollebak is a London-based technical outerwear and sportswear brand founded in 2015 by twin brothers Nick and Steve Tidball (b. 1979). They previously worked together in advertising as an art director and copywriter team. This experience has informed the brand’s emphasis on single product launches rather than collections, and garments designed with specific functions or material properties. Designs have included the world’s first graphene jacket, a carbon fibre T-shirt, a solar-charged jacket that stores and re-emits light, a 100-year hoodie and a full metal jacket woven from over 11 kilometres of copper yarn. Time magazine named Vollebak’s solar-charged jacket one of the best inventions of 2018 and their full metal jacket one of the best inventions of 2020. In 2019 Satish Tailor (b. 1972) was appointed head of design, and in 2022 Vollebak received an undisclosed amount from the BFC Venrex Fashion Fund.Sources: Wired UK.
Corporate body
·
1887-
Globe Manufacturing Inc. was founded in 1887 in Lynn, Massachusetts by J.D. Cleaver (d. 1901) who was a manufacturer of leather harnesses and fire suits. In 1901 Cleaver’s brother-in-law Courtland F.H. Freese acquired the business, relocating it to Pittsfield, New Hampshire. In 1918 Globe obtained a patent for a waterproof coat that incorporated an outer shell, a waterproof barrier and a thermal lining, and began selling the world’s first firefighter suit (known as turnout gear in the United States). This system of layers is still used by manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters today. In 1953 the company began to use 3M Scotchlite reflective trim on its PPE to aid visibility. They introduced the flame-resistant fabric DuPont Nomex into their PPE in 1966, the performance fabrics PBI for outer shells and waterproofs, and breathable Gore-Tex for moisture barriers, in 1985. In 2007 the company produced more than 114,000 suits, making Globe the largest manufacturer of structural fire suits in the world. By 2008 the company had 400 employees and more than 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution facilities. Globe acquired Cairns Protective Clothing in 1995, and MSA Safety, Inc. acquired Globe in 2017. The company continues to manufacture PPE, including firefighter suits.Sources: Congressional Documents and Publications; globe. msasafety.com; US Fed News.
Corporate body
·
1903-2000
Corporate body
·
1876-1976
The initials of the three founders Bradley, Voorhees & Day form the name of the firm. The company was established in New York in 1876. The B.V.D. trademark was acquired by The Union Underwear Company (owners of Fruit of the Loom) in 1976.
Corporate body
·
1980-
PDD is a design and innovation consultancy.
Corporate body
·
1997-
Prada launched their sportswear label Linea Rossa (also known as Prada Sport) in 1997. It was the same year Patrizio Bertelli established Prada's Team Luna Rossa to challenge for the America's Cup sailing competition. The line was discontinued in the mid-2000s and then relaunched in 2018.
Corporate body
·
1979-
French ready-to-wear label established by Charles Chevignon and Guy Azoulay in 1979. The logo is a duck in flight. The company was bought by Naf Naf in 1994 and the Vivarte group in 2007. It was sold in 2019 to Société Civile Financière Royer.
Corporate body
·
1938-
Ventile is a special woven cotton fabric that is trademark registered. It was developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester in the late 1930s. Extra-long-staple cotton fibres are used to weave a tight density fabric which is weatherproof. During the Second World War it was used to make immersion suits for pilots. From 1943 until 2017 it was made by Talbot Weaving in Chorley, Manchester. It is now produced by Stotz & Co. AG a Swiss manufacturer.
Corporate body
·
1968-
The idea for the business began in 1968 when Lino Dainese was inspired by seeing the leathers motorcyclists wore in London. He founded the company in Molvena, Vincenza, Italy to design and make protection for motorbike riders. The first piece manufactured was a pair of motocross trousers in 1972.
They have since developed a wide range of innovative protective products including back protectors, knee sliders, helmets and air-bag protection for motorcyclists. In the 1990s they moved into designing for mountain biking, snowboarding and alpine skiing and in 2011, horse riding. Their air-bag technology has been further developed under the D-air® trademark for motorcycling and skiing.
With the Massachusetts Institute of Technology they developed Biosuit®, prototype pressure suit for astronauts. In collaboration with the European Space Agency they have designed the SkinSuit® for astronauts to wear inside the International Space Station.