Belstaff Spring Summer 2017

Belstaff’s SS17 womenswear collection celebrated the centennial anniversary of the epic coast-to coast motorcycle journey across America by Augusta and Adeline Van Buren. The two fearless sisters left the legacy of campaigning for the right of women to serve in the US armed forces as messengers and dispatch riders, and ultimately helped pave the way for the female vote. Even at the ages of 24 and 22 years respectively, they were the first women to ride across the continent thus empowering and inspiring women all over the world. The collection drew upon the military influences mixed with Harley Davidson style apparel , while also referencing the dramatic and various landscapes they came across through colour and texture, and more feminine silhouettes.

Belstaff Collection Creative Director,  Delphine Ninous explained:

“This season we were really taken by the legacy of the Van Burens. They are an extraordinary example of female pioneering - the fact that this year marks 100 years since their trans-American trip really brings home how progressive they were for the time. We wanted to tap into such force of nature, expressing their strength and femininity through the clothes, for instance the delicate silk and flowing dresses combined with the harder leather pieces.”

Even without knowing the influence of the Van Buren sisters, upon viewing the collection you are immediately hit with the sensation of adventure, liberation, and unprecedented strength.