Melbourne company Saint motorcycle clothing gets tough in booming workwear market
A MELBOURNE-based motorcycle clothing company is adapting the hard-wearing technology behind its bike jeans to grab a big slice of the lucrative workwear market.
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A MELBOURNE-based motorcycle clothing company is adapting the hard-wearing technology behind its bike jeans to grab a big slice of the lucrative workwear market.
Saint launched its WORKS line earlier in the year, claiming that the material is 500 per cent stronger than regular denim.
Retailer RSEA has secured exclusive rights to sell the clothing aimed at blue-collar workers.
FIRST SINGLE-LAYER MOTORCYCLE JEANS
Saint chief executive and co-founder Aidan Clarke said as many as 500 pairs of jeans were selling every week.
“Within six months, workwear has become half of our business and we’ve been selling motorcycle gear for three or four years,’’ Mr Clarke said.
“We launched in February and we took a million-dollar order (from RSEA) and they’ve already doubled that.’’
Saint launched the first single-layer safety denim in the motorcycle market almost three years ago, by weaving Dyneema fibre into the cotton for strength. It took on traditional leathers kevlar-lined jeans in the marketplace.
Saint reduced the amount of Dyneema in the finished product, offering the workwear jeans for $139.
“There’s a lot construction going on, a lot of road building so it made a lot of sense to be a natural progression for us,’’ Mr Clarke said.
“It’s been interesting. A lot of guys go ‘hey mate, we normally go through a pair of pants in three or four months, but these things are still going strong’.’’
RSEA chief executive Brandon Chizik said the Saint jeans were tough and durable, but were “fashion-forward’’.
“We noticed what they were doing with innovative products in the motorcycle market and worked with them to create a tough product at the right price for workwear. For a first-up collection it’s quite exceptional,” Mr Chizik said.
The WORKS fashion range also includes cargo pants, jackets T-shirts, hoodies, caps, beanies and socks. It’s being sold at RSEA and Saint’s flagship store in Fitzroy.
Mr Clarke said Saint was now looking at fire retardant clothing and, of course, the workwear staple, the fluoro shirt. But at the right time.
“We wouldn’t mind owning the lower half first,’’ he said.
“Being another company making another fluoro top is not that attractive to us. Unless it’s a tough and durable one.’’
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