Castelli

Castelli was founded in the heart of Milan in 1876 by a fine tailor named Vittore Gianni. Over the years, Vittore Gianni dressed AC Milan, Juventus and the Milan ballet. The first garments for cycling were made for the three time World Champion and five time winner of the Giro, Alfredo Binda. Maurizio Castelli was born in 1948, and grew up following the careers of Fausto Coppi, a close friend of Maurizio's father and who at that time was the owner of Vittore Gianni's company. Coppi always wore Vittore Gianni's clothes, including the first silk suits designed specifically for Fausto to use in the time trials. Remember that famous photo of Coppi and Bartali sharing a bottle of water while climbing the Col d'Izoard? Yes, both are wearing Castelli jerseys. After a brief but promising career in the world of cycling, Maurizio created his homonymous brand in 1974 and with it a great number of innovations: the first Lycra for shorts used in racing and for sale to the public, the first coloured shorts, the first top printed by sublimation, the first synthetic clothing for winter, the first to use windproof membranes, the first to perform hydrophilic fabric treatments, the first anatomic seat pad, the lightest jersey to date, and the most aerodynamic jersey ever produced. Maurizio had the vision of being at the forefront of technology, performance and design. Today, Castelli are dedicated to continuing Maurizio's dream: to create the most innovative clothing for cyclists seeking maximum performance.