Descente

The forerunner of the company, a men's retail store called Ishimoto Shoten, was founded in 1935. It started developing skiwear in 1954, and registered the Descente trademark in 1961. The "Demopants" ski pants style was launched in 1974, followed in 1979 by the "Magic Suit".{{cite book |first=Roshan |last=Shishoo |title=Textiles in Sport |date=August 29, 2005 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-84569-088-5 |page=52}} A wearable heating system called the "Mobile Thermo" jacket was introduced in 1998.

In 2002, the company collaborated with Academy Award-winner art director and costume designer Eiko Ishioka in creating the Vortex suits and uniforms, used by the Japanese, Swiss, Spanish and Canadian teams competing in the 2002 Winter Olympics.{{cite book |first=Andrew |last=Jaffe |title=Casting for Big Ideas: A New Manifesto for Agency Managers |url=https://archive.org/details/castingforbigide00jaff |url-access=limited |date=September 24, 2003 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-48091-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/castingforbigide00jaff/page/n207 196]}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3079010/ns/technology_and_science/t/high-tech-race-olympic-gold/#.Vu8hJnpvW4A |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706004729/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3079010/ns/technology_and_science/t/high-tech-race-olympic-gold#.Vu8hJnpvW4A |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 6, 2013 |first=Alan |last=Boyle |title=The high-tech race for Olympic gold |date=February 1, 2002 |accessdate=March 21, 2016 |work=NBCNews.com |publisher=NBCUniversal}} Other developments since 2000 have included the Mizusawa Down range, the E-liner under-suit for ski and speed skating use, the ACXEL range of support bands and in 2012, Genome high performance compression wear.

The company won an ISPO Gold Medal for its ALLTERRAIN Transform Jacket in 2013.{{cite web |url=http://award.ispo.com/en/Winner-2013/Products/Performance/ |title=Product of the year - 2013 |work=ISPO |publisher=Messe München |accessdate=March 10, 2016}}

Descente have sponsored Cambridge University Boat Club in the Lightweight Boat Races since 2018.

{{multiple image

|align =

|direction =

|total_width = 350

|image1 = Women's downhill, 2014 WOG cropped.jpg

|image2 = Eric Heiden 1980c.jpg

|footer = (Left): Dominique Gisin and Lara Gut wearing Descente ski suits at the 2014 Winter Olympics; (right): Eric Heiden wearing a Descente racing suit at the 1980 World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men

}}

The company sponsored the United States speed-skating team in the 1970s and 1980s, including Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics wearing the gold Descente racing suit.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/02/sports/eric-heiden-a-year-later-his-privacy-is-golden.html |title=Eric Heiden a year later: his privacy is golden |first=Frank |last=Litsky |date=February 2, 1981 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=March 17, 2016}} It was also a supplier to the Canadian speed-skating team.{{cite news |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2005/11/news/press-release-descente-named-official-cycling-apparel-of-team-csc_9148 |title=Descente named Official Cycling Apparel of Team CSC |date=November 10, 2005 |work=VeloNews |publisher=Competitor Group, Inc. |accessdate=March 18, 2016 |archive-date=March 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325151256/http://velonews.competitor.com/2005/11/news/press-release-descente-named-official-cycling-apparel-of-team-csc_9148 |url-status=dead }}

The United States Ski Team, during the 1980s, and later, the Swiss alpine ski team was equipped with the company's skiwear.{{cite book |title=Skiing magazine |publisher=Bonnier Corporation |date=September 1983 |page=142 |issn=0037-6264}}{{cite news |url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swisscom-to-sponsor-skiers/2805142 |title=Swisscom to sponsor skiers |date=July 5, 2002 |work=Swissinfo |publisher=Swiss Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=March 18, 2016}}

Descente has equipped the German Bobled, Skeleton & Luge Team as the main sponsor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bsd-portal.de/partner/premiumpartner/|title=BSD Portal: PREMIUMPARTNER|website=www.bsd-portal.de|access-date=2019-01-18}}

Descente has equipped the 7-Eleven Cycling Team and Team CSC, two UCI World Tour competing teams.

The company is the official apparel and uniform sponsor of the South Korea national baseball team having previously supplied South Korea's under-18 team.{{cite news |url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/descente_to_supply_south_korea_at_inaugural_premier12 |title=Descente to supply South Korea at inaugural Premier12 |first=Michael |last=Long |date=September 23, 2015 |work=SportsPro |publisher=SportsPro Media Ltd. |accessdate=March 18, 2016}}

File:Baseball TeamKorea IncheonAsianGames 08.jpg in Descente uniforms]]

In February 2015, Yamaha Motor Racing, a MotoGP World Championship team, signed an Official sponsorship and Official Supplier agreement with Descente.{{cite news |url=http://rtrsports.co.uk/sports-marketing-yamaha-motor-and-descente-sign-official-sponsor-agreement/ |title=Sports Marketing: Yamaha Motor and Descente sign Official Sponsor Agreement |first=Emanuele |last=Venturoli |date=February 6, 2015 |work=RTR Sports |publisher=RTR Sports Marketing Ltd. |accessdate=March 18, 2016 |archive-date=March 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327225711/http://rtrsports.co.uk/sports-marketing-yamaha-motor-and-descente-sign-official-sponsor-agreement/ |url-status=dead }}

In April 2017, Descente became the Sports Apparel Sponsor to British Triathlon, supplying the Great Britain Elite and Age-Group Teams with competition, training and travel wear.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishtriathlon.org/news/descente-has-become-an-official-sponsor-of-british-triathlon_7060|title=DESCENTE has become an Official Sponsor of British Triathlon|website=www.britishtriathlon.org|date=April 5, 2017 |language=en|access-date=2017-05-12}}

{{clear}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Anta Sports}}

{{Sports equipment brands}}

{{Competitive swimwear}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Portal bar|Japan|Fashion|Companies}}

Category:Itochu

Category:Clothing companies of Japan

Category:Sporting goods manufacturers of Japan

Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Category:Companies based in Osaka

Category:Japanese companies established in 1935

Category:Clothing companies established in 1935

Category:Sportswear brands

Category:Japanese brands

Category:Swimwear manufacturers

Category:Clothing brands of Japan