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Bike Fashion Contest Tries Making Cycling Stylish
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 3, 2009
Modified Jun 3, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 3, 2009
Modified Jun 3, 2009
Share
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"We have to make bicycling fun and elegant, which it is not yet in New York!" declares Renaud Dutreil, a big shot at luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. Dutreil rides a bike to his office on East 57th Street almost every day, and he thinks more people would do likewise if there was only a fashion alternative to the dominant DIY style of ripped jeans, tattoos, and Bushwick-bound butt cleavage.
So he teamed up with designer Donna Karan and DOT officials to sponsor a competition among students at the Fashion Institute of Technology, challenging them to design a poncho, a jacket and a travel bag for cycling that didn't sacrifice style for safety or utilitarianism. According to the Times, the winning designs by Jessica Velasquez from Queens, will be made into prototypes by DKNY. Her "Tech-Chic" travel bag, for instance, folds neatly into an envelope while providing plenty of space to stash accessories like high-heel shoes. Now someone just needs to design a sexy bike helmet that won't ruin carefully coiffed hair, right ladies?
LVMH is also a main sponsor of Summer Streets, which is coming back this year.
Tagged
attire
bike
clothes
competition
cycling
dkny
fashion
FIT
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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