Behind the HYPE: How Rapha Blurred the Line Between Cycling and Fashion

When Simon Mottram founded Rapha back in 2004, their main goal was to rejuvenate the world of cycling apparel. The first label of its kind to actively steer away from the gaudy logo-adorned on-bike garments of the ’80s, Rapha went about designing functional and stylish apparel that not only contributed to high-performance, but looked good too.

Rapha’s intentions to push cycling’s boundaries and create products out of the ordinary was obvious only three years in, when it collaborated with British designer Paul Smith for a unique collection of jerseys, bibs, and casquettes, as well as off-bike apparel too — the first unification of its kind. Watch the video at Hypebeast.