When a innovative motorcycle-inspired clothing label was looking to launch a new high-strength denim solution, Dyneema® helped it put the pedal to the metal…
When style meets strength
From James Dean to Steve McQueen to Tom Cruise, motorcycling has long been synonymous with style. But while looking good on the open road is important, even the most fashion-forward riders need to feel protected. A regular pair of jeans has a tendency to burst on impact, resulting in scrapes and bruises.
SA1NT is a new motorcycle-inspired clothing label created by Australian motorcycle enthusiast Mike Lelliott. The brand is built around an innovative concept: technical motorcycle safety fabrics that look and feel great. A long-standing ambition for Lelliott and his team was a single-layer denim solution that could be worn as protective motorcycle clothing, while retaining the traditional comfort, breathability, and wearability of denim.
But it was never going to be easy: European certification bodies set a high bar for motorcycle gear, with certification requiring high standards of protection against wear, abrasion, and impact.
20 times stronger than standard denim? Enter Dyneema®
When it comes to motorcycle gear, traditional high-strength fibers provide adequate protection, but often at the expense of comfort and style. Think ill-fitting, heavily padded garments, bulky inner panels, or odd-looking seams – features that can impact the look and feel of the garment, as well as the comfort and mobility of the rider.
The SA1NT design team found its answer to the problem in Dyneema®. Our high-strength solution allowed SA1NT to create a world first: technical denim that’s up to 20 times stronger than standard denim, while offering all-day wearability, breathability, and comfort.
Dyneema®’s unique strength-to-weight ratio means that it only takes a small amount to have a significant impact on a garment’s protective performance. That’s allowed the team to seamlessly integrate Dyneema® fiber into their denim, with the flexibility to tailor its use to the specific needs of different products.
“For certain denims, we spin Dyneema® into the cotton yarn to create more traditional warp and weft denims,” explains Lelliott. “For our highest-performance denim, the Dyneema® content gives SA1NT three-dimensional strength.”
Innovation at full throttle
The project got off to a flying start, as the team quickly achieved European certification for its original flagship denim product: a traditional jeans-and-jacket combo. But Lelliott and his band of innovators aren’t stopping there: “We're currently taking Dyneema® and denim to the next level of road testing and experimentation. So far, the results look great!”
Next up, the SA1NT team has set its sights on creating the world’s first fully certified track-ready denim racing suit. That means developing a single-layer denim that's EN 17092 certified (based on the European Conformity Standards for motorcycle clothing).
A daunting challenge indeed, but one that Lelliott relishes: “Pioneering a whole new category of clothing is what wakes us up in the morning and keeps us smiling at night. It's uncharted territory – and we're the explorers!”
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