British clothing company Belstaff recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The next challenge? Preparing for another 100 years of business, while remaining true to the brand’s heritage.
“We are not a fashion brand. We are a functional menswear brand, and that’s a very clear and very important distinction,” says brand director Jodie Harrison. She explains that fashion brands create new pieces to follow trends, while Belstaff’s new products maintain a connection to the brand’s iconic designs.
As part of Belstaff’s centenary, Jodie led an initiative to collect vintage Belstaff products for the company archives, which designers use as inspiration for new products. “We now have thousands of pieces at our headquarters, some dating back to the early 1930s,” she says.
Here’s how the company is modernizing for the next century.
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A return to basics
![The Belstaff: Our First 100 Years book opens on two pages with a vintage green and blue motorcycle jacket](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/INSIDE-06.jpg?v=1712638094)
Ownership of Belstaff changed hands several times during its first 100 years. Although the company was established in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, it has also had German and Italian owners at different times in its history. Josie is on a mission to bring the brand back to its British roots. “I really wanted to bring back this British vision which, I think, had dissolved over the years,” she says.
Part of this initiative involved integrating Stoke-on-Trent into the refurbishment of the Belstaff flagship store. The floors are covered with tiles made in the region, some featuring the brand’s iconic phoenix logo. “We made sure to use materials that were reminiscent of our home country, while still making it very contemporary,” explains Jodie.
Consistent brand experience
![Belstaff jackets on a stand with the Phoenix logo on the arm](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/89A5251_Final_CopyrightPaulRiddle.jpg?v=1712637631)
Alongside the store overhaul, the company also embarked on a massive IT transformation, including moving its platform back to Shopify. “This was a really key project to ensure that when customers come to belstaff.com, they get the same feeling across all the different touchpoints,” Jodie explains.
Navid Jilow, chief technology officer at Belstaff, says the IT project helped the brand move toward an omnichannel approach. “We really found the proposition that you can combine your point of sale and your e-commerce platform on one platform very attractive,” he says.
With Shopify, Belstaff can collect more robust customer data based on their online and in-store purchases. “It helps us create that customer profile rather than missing some of those elements in our data,” says Navid.
The company also worked with an agency to create an engaging customer experience on the front end that was as seamless and easy to navigate as the in-store experience. Navid explains that Shopify’s headless setup allowed Belstaff developers to create a unique look and feel for the website.
The old is new again
Finally, Belstaff embraces its longevity with the mantra “old is good.” In today’s era of fast fashion, Jodie predicts that people will buy less over the next 100 years and turn to brands that offer quality craftsmanship. This is why the brand is also focusing on sustainability and exploring ways to help customers repair their used Belstaff products. “Being able to buy a coat, wear it for 50 years, and then pass it on to your son is actually a really lovely part of what makes Belstaff special,” says Jodie.
To hear more about what Belstaff is doing to celebrate 100 years in business, listen to full interview with Jodie and Navid on Shopify Masters.