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aerodynamic, development, ironman, mirinda carfrae, product development, Triathlon, wind tunnel -

Making Clothing for Champions – Mirinda “Rinny” Carfrae

It’s a long and sometimes complex journey before crossing the line to the cheers of the crowd as a winner. A season has to be planned carefully because long distance triathletes only have a limited number of shots a year for a big race. Just like the pros, Castelli also leaves nothing to chance, and is constantly thinking of how to improve products so that athletes can enjoy as many such moments as possible. This includes selecting the right fabrics, optimizing the pattern design, extensive in-house tests, wind tunnel tests and, last but not least, listening to our athletes. The collaboration with athletes like triple Ironman® world champion Mirinda Carfrae is an essential part when working on improvements and future concepts.

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alex zanardi, development, Photo finish, product, product development, sonia, vignati, vittorio podesta -

Sonia Vignati on the process of creating a new product

Sonia, you are without a doubt the person who has more experience with the Castelli company than anyone else. From the sewing department at an external vendor you have moved on to become the main interface today between Steve, the designer and the pattern office. But first things first: describe your job as best you can. Steve is kind of the technical mind behind our product. He gathers the information and the needs of the pro riders. Maria Teresa, the designer, designs the collection to include the items Steve requests. I come right after, and I have to work closely with them to define the collection. I have to follow the product from this phase until it’s finished. Based on the technical requirements specified by Steve and the aesthetics suggested by the designer, I have to choose the right materials and the appropriate components, from the reflective piping to the best zipper to the label, identifying all the possible solutions, taking into account functionality, style and the cost of the finished product. I am essentially the hub between design, pattern making and research. I have a background in pattern making, cutting and sewing; I started working at the machine. I ...

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frederik van lierde, Marino Vanhoenacker, mirinda carfrae, Photo finish, product development, timothy o donnell, Triathlon, wind tunnel -

Product development with some of the best athletes in the world

It’s a long and sometimes complex journey before crossing the line to the cheers of the crowd as a winner. A season has to be planned carefully because long distance triathletes only have one or two shots a year for a big race. Just like the pros, Castelli also leaves nothing to chance, and we are constantly thinking of how to improve our products so that athletes can enjoy as many such moments as possible. This includes selecting the right fabrics, optimizing the pattern design, extensive in-house tests and, last but not least, sophisticated sessions in the wind tunnel. This spring we again went to the Milan wind tunnel with Marino Vanhoenacker to test new apparel ideas and refine his bike setup. Already some years ago it was proven that sleeves are faster than skin. Short-sleeved race kits became indispensable for the best possible aerodynamics on the bike. A few years ago professional athletes with short- or even long-sleeved race suits were smiled at. I’d call myself quite picky when it comes to choosing the perfect equipment, and I spare no effort to improve my material. The central issue is fit. A race combo has to fit really well so that no unwanted aero ...

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