History Details

1935

This company was the forerunner of Descente Ltd.

1954

The beginning of skiwear development
Kazuyoshi Nishimura, Japan’s first professional skier and a highly creative person who held strong views about skiwear, was invited to become an advisor to the company. Thus was begun a period of development based on trial and error of his ideas, and Descente became firmly established in the skiwear business. Kazuyoshi Nishimura’s uncompromising standards of perfection were largely responsible for Descente’s unwavering commitment to making only the best quality products.

1957

Announcement of the RWSB Jacket
This was the name given to an all-new “portable” windbreaker utilizing the RWSB*2 characteristics. Made of nylon, and able to be folded away into a self-contained pouch, this was a truly revolutionary garment for its time. It can properly be called Descente’s first totally self-developed product.
*2 RWSB: An acronym formed from the first letter of the words Rain, Wind, Snow and Block. Pronounced “rausbee”.

1961

The Descente trademark was registered, formally marking the birth of today’s Descente Ltd.
The Descente signature arrow logo – known as the “Spirit Mark” – represents the basic skiing techniques of “schuss”, “traverse” and “sideslip”. It symbolizes the bold spirit of Descente – always faithful to its grassroots manufacturing integrity, and constant quest for perfection and contemporary appeal. The form of the current Spirit Mark logo was adopted in 1968.

1970

The beginning of collaboration with two Hannes Keller and Hans Hess.
As a result of this joint undertaking, Descente developed state of the art technology, incorporating extensive wind tunnel testing, to minimise surface wrinkling and unevenness – the main cause of wind resistance - and succeeded in developing the world’s first three-dimensionally cut downhill racing suit. This marked the beginning of the era of competition where victory margins are measured in 1/100ths of a second.

1974

Announcement of the “Demopants” ski pants style.
“Demopants” is a short form of “demonstrator pants”. These were a hugely successful product – they not only covered and kept snow out of skiboot-tops, but also flattered the Japanese physique by appearing to elongate the leg silhouette. Their popularity was enhanced by their overall warmth and freedom of movement, and the Demopants became synonymous with ski pants.

1979

Announcement of the “Magic Suit“
The Magic Suit brought together with startling effect all of the earlier Descente developments in reducing wind resistance and maximizing freedom of movement and maneuverability through three dimensional design, strategic adjustment of fasteners and the like.
The performance-enhancing qualities of the Magic Suit were recognized by leading ski racers around the world and so powerful was its “magic” that many said they couldn’t win without it.

1980

United States speed skater Eric Heiden achieved spectacular success wearing a Descente suit.
The Magic Suit brought together with startling effect all of the earlier Descente developments in reducing wind resistance and maximizing freedom of movement and maneuverability through three dimensional design, strategic adjustment of fasteners and the like.
The performance-enhancing qualities of the Magic Suit were recognized by leading ski racers around the world and so powerful was its “magic” that many said they couldn’t win without it.

1988

Announcement of the heat retaining Solar α jacket.
Descente turned next to the development, in collaboration with Unitika Ltd., of a jacket using a new, highly efficient heat retaining material which became known as solar α, a “dream fabric” which absorbed solar rays and converted them into heat. Solar α turned all existing solutions for heat retention upside down. Keeping conventional garments warm relied on passive heat retention, preventing warmth generated inside the garment from escaping i.e. the more radiant heat that could be prevented from reaching the outside, the warmer the wearer stayed. In contrast, like a solar power system, Solar α generated heat in a positive way, actually converting light energy from the sun into heat, and moreover, storing that heat within its fibers

1998

Descente introduced the “Mobile Thermo” jacket
Working in close collaboration with leading electronics manufacturer Panasonic, the company created the “mobile thermo” coat, the world’s first clothing utilizing a catalytic heating system. It was hailed as mankind’s first experience with cold weather wear incorporating its own heating system. In order to gain acceptance, the coat had to be safe, lightweight and easy to wear. All of the company’s vast array of technical skills were brought to bear to ensure that all these points were met, and the “Mobile Thermo” coat came into being.

2002

Power of Design
An adventurous collaboration between Descente and the Academy Award winning costume designer Eiko Ishioka, which saw Descente move to add a new dimension of artistic excitement to its cutting-edge sports science-based products. In what became known as the “athlete’s genome”, Ms Ishioka sought to impose a psychological dimension on to athletic performance – to heighten the sense of individual power for the wearer, and perhaps even to create some doubt in the minds of opponents.

2008

Release of the revolutionary Mizusawa Down range.
In place of the traditional stitched, quilted down construction, the technicians at Descente’s Mizusawa factory came up with an entirely new thermal bonding process to produce this revolutionary line of jackets. This new process prevented down from escaping through sewn seams, and for the first time made possible a genuinely waterproof down jacket.