Belstaff Relaunches at Barneys New York

5:30 PM, August 7 2012

By John Jannuzzi

Today, despite the undeniable presence of summer, we popped by Barneys New York Madison Ave. flagship for the fall relaunch of Belstaff.

The English heritage brand was founded in 1924, originally serving as sportswear for the one percent. (You know, clothes they could wear while racing their Bentleys and open-cockpit planes.) As exciting as that may sound, let's keep in mind that the mortality rate for those leisure activities was crazy-high. Like 80-percent-high. But at least they looked great, right?

Simon Doonan and Belstaff's Chief Creative Officer, Martin Cooper—who came from Burberry—were on hand to help us get a feel for where the brand is headed.

Belstaff represents a dream lifestyle. Throughout the morning, Cooper kept referring to a balance between city life and country life. (While owning a loft apartment in Manhattan AND a rambling home in upstate New York is not attainable for many of us, it's certainly an aspiration.) The collection conveys that decidedly modern ideal through new fabrics and silhouettes—python leather, suede motorcycle pants, cropped bombers—but still honors the brand's heritage by keeping the standards around, like the traditional wax jacket. With fans ranging from Amelia Earhart to Ewan McGregor, that's the way to do it.

Get ready to shop, because these pieces are sure to outlast the waxing and waning of trends.

The collection is currently available at Barneys and on Barneys.com.