Sources: Wired UK.
Sources: Wired UK.
Sources: Congressional Documents and Publications; globe. msasafety.com; US Fed News.
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.
London shop at 13-14 Portsmouth St London WC2A 2ES, near Lincoln's Inn Fields. It was opened as a shoe shop by shoemaker and designer Ian Reid in around 1991 after he had served his apprenticeship under shoe designer John Moore. Some of Reid's well known designs included the 'Fat Shoe' and the 'Hog's Toe Shoe'.
From at least 2005 it has housed Japanese shoe designer Daita Kimura's showroom and workshop and he has been a director of Curiosity UK Limited since 2003. Kimura has designed shoes for Alexander McQueen and Buddahood.