De Marchi

De Marchi was founded in 1946 by Emilio De Marchi (1906-1992), a former athlete and team manager for the Bottecchia professional cycling squad, in San Vendemiano in Italy's Veneto region (Treviso province). The company presents itself as one of the oldest firms specializing exclusively in cycling clothing and has remained under the same family's ownership for more than 75 years. Its early decades were shaped by relationships with leading riders of the era, including Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali and Louison Bobet; by the company's own account, a suggestion from Bobet led De Marchi to replace the buttons then used to close cycling jerseys with zippers, a change that spread across the sport. The company later launched a Heritage line reproducing vintage jersey designs from its archive using modern fabrics. De Marchi continues to manufacture technical cycling apparel — jerseys, bib shorts and related kit — for retail customers and team sponsorship programs, presenting itself as a specialist maker rather than a general sportswear brand.