NEWSLETTER
As a designer a specialist manufacturer of equestrian safety wear, Airowear has been supplying the worldwide equestrian market with body protectors, riding helmets and hi-viz clothing since 1986.
At this year's BETA International, Airowear will be launching a softer, more bendable body protector called the Outlyne.
ETN speaks to the Managing Director of Airowear, Lucy Carr-Seaman, about the new product:
"Airowear firmly believes that everybody, regardless of size, should be able to buy a correctly fitted body protector. This philosophy has helped Airowear to become an award-winning manufacturer to 18 countries worldwide"
Q. What is your background in product design and development?
A. After graduating with a degree in fashion design, I worked as a product designer for a company that supplied underwear to Marks & Spencer. In 1986, I moved on from my role and took over Airowear, which was a small concern at the time.
I was able to apply my knowledge of underwear to the design of body protectors, because they both use three dimensional engineering! We have been able to create a range of stylish, well-fitted body protectors for all shapes and sizes of women, men and children.
Airowear is still very much a design-led company and we invest a lot of our resources into researching new concepts that, when applied to protective sportswear, improve safety, fit and comfort for horse riders.
Q. What is the outcome of your latest research?
A. It shows a correlation between the stature of a woman and her measurements. We have applied these results to our new body protector, the Outlyne, which enables us to incorporate both standard sizes and bespoke sizes into an off-the-shelf range.
The intention is to reduce the need to request a bespoke fitted body protector by making one which will fit many more women, regardless of whether they are tall and slim, tall and wide, short and wide, petite, flat or generously chested. In today's market, there is no reason why everybody, regardless of size and height, shouldn't be able to fit into a correctly sized body protector.
Q. What other features does the Outlyne have?
A. Whilst sizing is the predominent feature, flexibility is also key and our design team has spent the past 2 years researching new methods to make single-panelled body protectors more flexible.
Q. How have you been able to make the Outlyne more flexible?
A. We have used our Ultraflex foam technology to encourage the body protector to become more soft and bendable, without relying solely on heat transfer from the body. With body heat transferring through to the body protector, the Ultraflex foam becomes even more pliabe and supple, thus making the rider more comfortable.