Dainese reveals stronger alternative to leather

Dainese is introducing a man-made alternative to leather which it claims is 10 times stronger.

The material, called D-stone, will go on sale soon in the form of a one-piece suit and two jackets – and if it’s as good as Dainese says, it could make hide obsolete.

The big surprise is that the high-tech fabric will be more affordable than leather. The Tobruk-Tex suit will sell for £499.99, compared to an equivalent leather suit costing £700, while the £179.99 Invader-Tex and £269.99 Gladiator-Tex jackets are priced to suit a range of pockets. All three will also feature leather panels.

D-stone is the result of years of intensive research into an alternative to leather. The nylon-based material is made by Cordura manufacturer DuPont, exclusively for Dainese.

Dainese has launched a second DuPont-developed material, called Tech, which is a Cordura-like textile, but even stronger.

Tech will feature in a series of Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable jackets, including the new £299 T-Age, the £399.99 X-Tech II and the £279 Signature, from early next year.