Tried, tested, trusted. Inside Product Development at REV’IT!
REV’IT! is known around the world for high-quality apparel with superior design. REVzine sat down with Guido Kreijkamp, the company’s manager of product development and production, to talk about how REV’IT! accomplishes this.
ventilation during periods of warmth, while pre-shaping to the rider’s position for excellent comfort. And, of course, REV’IT! apparel provides superior protection.
REVZINE > First, can you tell us little about how REV’IT! approaches product development?
GK: At REV’IT! we actually build quality control systems into our design process. These are in effect even before the first product sketches are made. This way, we can guarantee that multifunctionality comes together with reliable quality.
Guido Kreijkamp: Well, every product REV’IT! sells must meet our high standards of quality, safety, and efficacy. As a supplier of motorcycle apparel, we truly feel that we have the moral duty to contribute to the safety of our customers, who come to us for protection. Our customers entrust us with their safety, and we take this partnership extremely seriously. REVZINE > So, in order to live up to this trust, you focus on safety in your products. GK: Yes, but for a product to be worthy of wearing the REV’IT! name, we demand much more than just safety. Good motorcycle apparel must also be very versatile. Our outer layers offer full weather protection during cold or rainy conditions, as well as
REVZINE > With all of those aspects to balance, how do you ensure the quality of your products?
REVZINE > How do you balance the practical concerns of quality control with the imagination required to keep your products constantly evolving? That seems to be one of the things your customers like best: your creative product solutions. GK: This is certainly a tension in our design process: sticking to our time-tested quality standards, while making exciting new products that meet our customers’ desire for innovation. That’s why we recently developed a prototype and product development test team for REV’IT!, composed exclusively of motorcycle enthusiasts. Riders are very vocal about their desires,
‘…in the Martindale Test, wool or sandpaper is used to rub the fabric over and over again with considerable pressure to test the abrasion resistance of fabric.’
• ‘…in the Crumple Test, GORE® TEX fabrics are squashed and stretched repeatedly in extreme temperatures for hours on end. The fabrics must survive this punishing test and emerge still durably waterproof.’
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