When the classic Matchless motorcycle marque was acquired by Franco Malenotti and his sons Michele and Manuele — former owners of the Belstaff apparel brand — last autumn, we were promised a revival of retro bike production. Instead, the Malenottis are about to turn Matchless into an upmarket biker-chic fashion label.
A Matchless range of luxury leather jackets with prices from £900 to £1300 is set to be launched in June, pretty much replicating the global lifestyle branding route taken by the Malenottis with Belstaff. And to this end, British fashion diva Kate Moss has been recruited as the new face (and bodywork) of the marque for promotional purposes. The pulchritudinous Ms Moss has already appeared in leaked tasters of a recent photoshoot by top ragtrade lensman Terry Richardson astride a 1960s-vintage Matchless G80. However, her riding gear was so incomplete that it’d never have got past TT scrutineers even back in Charlie Collier’s day…
“We are delighted to be working with Kate Moss on this first Matchless advertising campaign of this new era of the brand,” said Michele Malenotti. “We feel her spirit and personality fit the brand perfectly and this is clearly conveyed in the campaign.”