This paved the way for the very first technical motorcycle tracing suit, personally designed by Lino Dainese in 1975 for the legendary Giacomo Agostini, who went on to become 15-times world champion. Featuring radical new developments, including improved ergonomics, thicker hide and distinctive graphics, this suit heralded the Dainese revolution. Ceaseless innovations followed, not only increasing safety but rider performance as well. Which is why Dainese creations have been used by so many world champions. The next milestone was the back protector, first worn on the track by Barry Sheene in 1978. This was followed by the protective knee slider, originally conceived for American champion Kenny Roberts in 1980. Following fast on its heels came the aerodynamic speed hump (1988), composite armor (1990), gloves with rigid carbon (1995), boots with a carbon, and then boots worn under the suit, rather than outside (1988), an innovation whose best-known ambassador is still Valentino Rossi today. And that was just on track and road. Dainese’s vision has also transformed off-road riding with inventions conceived for the fastest competitions – African Rallies. The best known of them is armor made by hot injection molding in a process that brings hide, polyurethane foam and a rigid shell together as one. The technology, first seen in the iconic suits of Champion Edi Orioli, brought new standards of safety and comfort off-road. Our most sophisticated innovation to date, the D-Air® airbag system, saw the light of day as a small drawing Lino sketched on a paper napkin in 1995. Following intensive research and development, it made its first public appearance at Intermot, Munich, in 2000. Today it has become a brand within our brand and a proven, life-saving success on track and road. Recognition of our expertise, research capabilities and ability to think “outside the box” to achieve “the impossible” have led to exciting advancements in new fields, including the new SkinSuit for the International Space Station, the BioSuit being developed for future NASA missions to Mars, and the Sea-Guard aerodynamic safety jacket created for the “flying machine” foiling catamarans of America’s Cup champions Emirates Team New Zealand.

Dainese’s commitment to performance and safety has inevitably extended beyond motorcycle clothing, steadily growing to embrace crash helmets, mountain biking, alpine skiing, horse riding and most recently sailing. In 2007, the company achieved Lino’s original dream of providing protection from head to toe when it acquired the world-renowned Italian helmet manufacturer AGV. The Dainese Group benefitted from substantial investment in 2015, when Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products, acquired an 80% stake to support our continued international expansion and product innovation. Later that year, the Group acquired kindred-spirit cycling and skiing safety brand POC. In 2017, this 45-year journey continues, striving ceaselessly for new performance and safety advancements in dynamic sports, living the values that have always distinguished the Dainese Group and its reputation for excellence proven in competition and daily use.

Dainese was established in 1972 by Lino Dainese, a 24-year-old motorcycle enthusiast driven by endless curiosity, a constant desire to experiment and a strong interest in contemporary art and design. Right from these early days, Dainese’s mission has always been to advance and promote ergonomics, performance and above all safety in dynamic sports. Lino Dainese’s vision initially saw him combine the technical expertise of two areas in the Italian province of Venetia – Arzignano with its unique hide-tanning tradition, and Marostica/Molvena with its clothing expertise. The result, presented at the company’s Milan Showroom in 1974, brought a dazzling touch of color to a world dominated by black, increasing rider visibility and therefore safety, adding fun and significantly increasing the scope for sponsorship.