WITH REPRESENT AND BELSTAFF

It’s been a big year for Belstaff. Their 100th year in business to be precise. And to honour that moment in time? They’re collaborating with one of the UK’s most exciting brands, Represent.

The signature collection cleverly marries Represent’s distinctive streetwear aesthetic with Belstaff’s 100-year motorcycle legacy. From statement outerwear inspired by archival pieces, like the iconic Trialmaster jacket, to signature graphic hoodies and sweats, a stalwart of Represent’s offering, it’s filled with collectable pieces that perfectly merge both brands.

To mark the moment and celebrate the Belstaff x Represent collection launching at FLANNELS, we talked to Represent founders, brothers George and Mike Heaton, and Peter Perrett, the Design Director of Belstaff, to discuss collaboration, community and creating a collection that speaks to both brand’s strong community

At first glance, your brands feel very different, so this collaboration may feel unexpected for many. What drew you to one another and made you want to work together in the first instance?

MIKE: Being able to work with a brand that has 100 years of outerwear excellence and a proven ‘Built to last’ attitude.

PETER: Represent has changed the landscape of contemporary menswear. We were excited to see how they could bring a new dimension to our iconic styles and details with their unique design aesthetic.

GEORGE: If I think back to the first instance, an ambition of mine has always been to work with a British heritage, British luxury brand, as that is what Represent is to one day become. Belstaff is absolutely one of those brands, standing the test of time through 100 years.

What’s inspired you most about each other’s brands?

GEORGE: Reminiscing on my dad’s old film photos and going through his archives, he grew up riding motocross, so he’d always be decked out in Belstaff. The brand had become synonymous in the family and as a young creative in fashion, Mike and I would reference Belstaff’s logo appreciation alongside their craftsmanship on the outerwear. This is inspiring to a much younger, contemporary brand, finding our DNA and establishing our aesthetic through the years.

MIKE: I’ve always loved the Belstaff branding. It was very appealing to me to be able to find a process, find how we could marry such iconic branding together - seeing the Phoenix intertwined with the initial.

PETER: Represent have created their own universe built around a design vision, and they have inspired their customers to join them on the journey. They’ve created a really strong community with their customers which is something our two brands have in common, and we found their purist approach hugely inspiring.

Tell us about the collaboration. Where did you start?

PETER: The collaboration started with a conversation. The Represent team then brought an initial concept to the table. During a collaborative meeting at Belstaff HQ we shared material references and layered on authentic Belstaff design references from our rich motorcycle heritage. The whole creative process felt very organic between the two teams. A shared appreciation for iconic Belstaff archive moto pieces informed the evolution of the designs. The contrast between the oversized Represent silhouettes and our authentic archival detailing inspired us to create something completely new and different.

GEORGE: Collaborations are such a force when done right and such a pain when done wrong. For me, speaking on behalf of Represent, the collaborations we chose to do have to be naturally creative from the inception, and have to be very exciting from the first conversation. Belstaff was exactly that. I knew what I wanted to do, because I’d always had the brand in mind, and they knew how to make this happen.

MIKE: We started deep in the Belstaff archives, which you can imagine were more than inspirational, from archival pieces to learning about functional motoring details on leg wear to vintage neck label branding. It really kickstarted the collaboration. I can remember everyone leaving that first creative meeting at the Belstaff HQ in London so excited to get started.

You went deep into the Belstaff archives for this. How was it to revisit such a rich heritage and how do you go about developing that for 2024? Was there added pressure or a feeling of responsibility?

GEORGE: Referencing archival pieces is always the pinnacle of bringing a product to life. For us as a young brand, having the ability to deep dive into such a classic, well-made brand’s garments is not only so inspirational, but also shows their commitment to quality, and even more so storytelling.

MIKE: Definitely, you have a real sense of excitement, and your mind is flooded with ideas, but, at the same time it’s about making sure the ones you decided to act on do the collaboration justice when dealing with such an iconic heritage.

Belstaff – of course – has a huge motorcycle legacy which has formed the backbone of the collection. What’s your own relationship with this subculture?

GEORGE: My dad was heavily into motocross as a youth and collects vintage bikes that he rode back then. When I was growing up, I wanted to ride them bikes, so he taught me how to ride, and we’d be at the tracks every weekend. When I was at college, about to start Represent, my part-time job was in a motocross graphic design studio, so I was around bikes a lot. At 16 as soon as I could get road-legal, I was riding my crossers around the streets. So, it’s a family tradition. Figures like Steve McQueen were huge style inspirations, and I have a few iconic images of him riding around my house in the UK, as well as a vintage triumph in my foyer.

MIKE: Like George said, it’s something we’ve grown up around and the smell of a two-stoke engine seems to follow us to this day, featuring in a lot of our campaigns over the years. I’ve also always taken a lot of my design inspiration from Motor racing; from the checkered flags at Silverstone or even vintage Harley graphics I’ll find in LA.

Why is community so important to your brands today?

XXX: Community is at the heart of the Belstaff brand. We have very loyal customers who shop with us regularly and are invested in the products we create. In turn, we are inspired by our customers, and they are at the heart of all the creative decisions we make. We like to think Belstaff, and the Phoenix logo, speaks to a 'if you know you know' mentality.

GEORGE: Represent has really been built on quality, and quality creates community because consumers become loyal when product is great. That alongside community being a value of our mission, means we’re always serving our community as best as we can, as they’re the backbone of our brand’s trajectory.

You both originated in The North. How does that spirit come to life in the collaboration?

GEORGE: The Mancunian spirit is built into Represent. The hard work, grit and ‘get on with it’ attitude runs through our team, and you see it within the 247 workouts at 6 am. We embody this through the tough leathers, ballistic constructions and heavily washed-out cottons to build the blocks of these collaborative pieces.

What did you learn from each other through the process?

MIKE: As I touched on earlier, the fact that Belstaff has 100 years of outerwear excellence, this has really taught us a great deal about how to make luxury garments that not only have beautiful details but are well-functioning also.

PETER: We found working with the Represent team massively inspiring. They have a fresh approach, make decisions quickly and know exactly what they like from a design perspective.

We don’t like to pick favourites, but what piece do you love the most in the collection?

PETER: I think the leather jacket would be the key piece, the combination of such an iconic moto-inspired style with its exaggerated, oversized fit and graphic applique embellishment perfectly represents the coming together of the two brands. Craftsmanship and modernity are central to the piece, and the jacquard checkerboard lining adds the finishing touch.

GEORGE: The leather motorbike jacket. The matte finish on the extra heavy luxury skin, with minimal tonal branding through layers of leathers and suedes finish it so beautifully. And opening the double-head zip to the front you see the flowing ‘finish line’ flag print detail through the silky lining.

MIKE: For me it’s the Canvas set, being able to put our spin on the classic Trialmaster jacket and matching pants was an honour. I think it’s the perfect example of two brands coming together, something so iconic but reimagined, fitting more like a classic Represent fit.

What’s in store for the start of the next 100 years at Belstaff?

PETER: We want to continue to honour the people who have built Belstaff and we never want to lose sight of the legacy that we’ve been celebrating throughout this centenary year – that’s key. But we’re a brand that was established by pioneers, so driving innovation is part of our DNA. From 2025, there will be a renewed focus on motorcycle, which we’re looking forward to exploring in new ways – the Represent collab is a perfect example of this. We’ll continue reimagining our icons, exploring new fabrications, finishes and treatments. There are also some exciting collaborations ahead. We love sharing ideas with brands that feel authentically connected to us, but who bring a new, outsider’s perspective to the table.

What are your hopes and aspirations for Represent in 100 years? What would you like the brand’s legacy to be?

GEORGE: Legacy is the exact thing we want this to be. We’re here to build the best brand in the world, and that means not just the best product, but the best team, the best community, the best service, the best partners and collaborators and the best in how we show up. That’s what will carry us through the next decades.