Bicycle style meets safety

Fashion Institute of Technology students take the challenge to create stylish and functional bike-friendly fashions.

Thu, Jun 04 2009 at 12:59 PM

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Eco-fashion

Bike fashions aren’t exactly new, with two-wheeling fashionistas throwing Cycle Style Shows and high-end designers showing off the bike-friendliness of their designs. None of those cute outfits, however, were actually made with bicycling in mind; cyclists just found the clothes to be bike-worthy post-design.

Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology are changing that fashion-first, functionality-second approach. Thanks to the Bike in Style challenge by LVMH, students merged bike-functionality and safety with fashion at the very beginning of the design process, making the two work symbiotically to create their designs.

The challenge: “to create stylish, practical and affordable bike clothing and gear in support of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s bicycling promotion initiatives.” Each challenger designed a poncho, a jacket, and a travel bag for both men and women.

The winner, 21-year-old Jessica Velasquez, got $5,000. Three of her designs (see images) will be developed into prototypes by DKNY, to be unveiled this summer. No news, as of yet, on whether or not the pieces will be made out of eco-friendly materials….

Watch the New York Times’ narrated slideshow of the Bike in Style challenge to learn more about Jessica’s concepts and inspirations, as well as the runner-ups’ designs. LVMH’s been in the green news a lot lately; last month, the fashion giant bought a big stake in eco-ethical fashion company Edun.

Photos: Courtesy Fashion Institute of Technology

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