Image by: @Descente
The bold spirit of Descente
Back to 1930 where it all started when Japanese Takeo Ishimoto founded the company Ishimoto Shoten. In the company's early years, they were mainly making baseball apparel. Until 1954, when Kazuyoshi Nishimura, Japan's first professional skier, became an advisor to the company. The company's name was changed to Descente and they started focusing more on skiwear. "Descente" is a French word meaning "downhill". Descente's distinctive arrow logo - known as the "Spirit Mark" - represents the basic techniques of skiing: "schuss", "traverse" and "sideslip". It symbolises Descente's bold spirit - always true to the basic integrity of production, and the constant search for perfection and contemporary appeal.
In the 1980s, the brand was expanding their ski technologies to other sports, making clothing for great sports athletes. For example, in 1980 they made a skating suit for American Eric Heiden, with it he took 5 gold medals at the Winter Olympics. They also developed clothes for cyclist Koichi Nakano, who won his 10th consecutive world cycling championship in Descente clothes.
Today, Descente is a leading international sportswear brand, known for its innovative designs, high-quality materials and technical performance. By collaborating with top athletes and designers, Descente continues to come up with new innovations every season for top athletes and for their skiwear. But this is not the only thing; their strict rules towards perfection in the production process also ensure that the best quality clothing is sent out every season.
Image by: @Descente
Descente's high standards
It all starts in Japan, where the brand's creative process begins. This is where designers come together to lay the foundations for each product. From a two-dimensional design grows a detailed manual, which forms the blueprint for the production process. During this process, the designs undergo rigorous checking procedures and extensive testing, with a lot of experimentation with different techniques in real life.
Once the manual is complete, the journey continues to the factories. Only the most skilled craftsmen are selected here, based on extensive skill tests and their passion for technical sewing. The production process requires precision and patience, with each step performed by specialised artisans dedicated to their craft.
But that's not all. Descente sets high standards for the quality of their products. But how do they maintain these standards? The brand ensures that their products not only meet the strict quality standards of Japan, but also those of the rest of the world. This is achieved by using quality criteria that meet the highest standards. Each material is thoroughly tested for quality, safety and performance, while customers' expectations and perceptions are always the focus.
Image by: @Descente
Descente: Continuous innovativeness
Descente is an innovative brand that uses many different technologies. They use technologies in collaboration with other companies but also have their own technologies. Their team is constantly coming up with new innovations, which they often do in collaboration with top athletes. Working with these athletes allows the brand to know exactly what their customers' needs are.
But what technologies does the brand use? For their insulation, the brand uses a lot of different technologies. Like many other brands, they use down, but they also have their own technologies like Heat navi. This is a special technology, the technology converts infrared rays from sunlight into heat. Another technology they have designed themselves is Flexermo, with this technology you have optimal freedom of movement combined with warmth and comfort. For freedom of movement, the brand also makes great use of the 4-way stretch fabric, which is a fabric that is extremely flexible and also waterproof.
Afbeelding door: @Descente
Droog op de bergen
Net zoals Ortovox maken ze gebruik van Dermizax, hier lees je in het volgende kopje meer over. Ook bij de waterdichte technologieën hebben ze hun eigen technologie, Descente Technology Lamination (DTL). Deze zachte, lichte en waterdichte technologie voert de vocht van binnen af naar buiten en zorgt dat er geen water en wind naar binnen kunnen. DTL heeft een waterdichtheid van 20.000 mm, ben je benieuwd wat dit betekent lees dan hier het blog over de waterkolom verder.
Afbeelding door: @Descente
Wat is Dermizax?
Dermizax is een waterdicht membraan dat geen poriën heeft, waardoor het bestand is tegen vuil en rook. Het maakt gebruik van hydrofiele moleculen die waterdamp doorlaten maar waterdruppels tegenhouden. De moleculen werken sneller bij hogere temperaturen en toenemende inspanning. Het komt in verschillende constructies: 2-laags, 2,5-laags en 3-laags, met elk verschillende eigenschappen voor diverse activiteiten.
De technologie is robuuster dan Gore-Tex omdat het geen poriën heeft die verstopt kunnen raken door vuil, rook en andere onzuiverheden, waardoor het membraan minder snel beschadigd raakt. Bovendien is Dermizax elastisch, waardoor het membraan beter bestand is tegen beweging en minder snel loslaat van de stof.
Bekijk de collectie Descente-jassen en broeken bij Skistore Swing!
Image by: @Descente
Dry on the mountains
Like Ortovox, they use Dermizax, you can read more about this in the next section. Also in waterproof technologies, they have their own technology, Descente Technology Lamination (DTL). This soft, lightweight and waterproof technology wicks moisture from the inside out, preventing water and wind from getting inside. DTL has a waterproof rating of 20,000 mm, if you are curious what this means read the water column blog further here.
What is Dermizax?
Dermizax is a waterproof membrane that has no pores, making it resistant to dirt and smoke. It uses hydrophilic molecules that allow water vapour to pass through but block water droplets. The molecules work faster at higher temperatures and increasing exertion. It comes in different constructions: 2-layer, 2.5-layer and 3-layer, each with different properties for various activities.
The technology is more robust than Gore-Tex because it has no pores that can be clogged by dirt, smoke and other impurities, making the membrane less likely to be damaged. Moreover, Dermizax is elastic, making the membrane more resistant to movement and less likely to detach from the fabric.
Check out the collection of Descente jackets and trousers at Skistore Swing!
Image by: @Descente