Fashion

Can Harley-Davidson enter the fashion world?

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, is the largest gathering of cyclists in the world. Every summer, about half a million people drive toward the Black Hills for a week of communal excursions, a grand celebration of that eternal dream: freedom on the open road. During the rally, Sturgis is basically Harley-ville, USA. That’s why last summer, the pig festival hosted a no-nonsense visitor, a pilgrim to the beating heart of airplane cyclist culture: the designer British fashion Louise Goldin.

Louise Goldin

LEE MORGAN MORGANATION CO., LTD lee@leemorgan.com

Goldin recently told me about the event: “I don’t know what I’m getting into, but it’s amazing. Goldin, born in London, living in New York, was the first to admit that she was not a motorcyclist. She doesn’t own or ride a car. But Goldin has an important job in the cycling world. She was brought to Sturgis by Harley-Davidson, the company hired her last February as its first creative director, responsible for turning the company’s seemingly endless footprint in the motoring world into a globally relevant fashion. Sturgis is a research trip, a full-scale cultural immersion amidst the largest concentration of Harley-Davidson gear on the planet.

“Everybody has a reaction when they think about Harley,” says Goldin. Most people think of the bicycles she observed in Sturgis. But, arguably, they’re more likely to think of clothes first. Harley merchandise isn’t just popular among bike enthusiasts. T-shirts with Harley’s shield logo are included in the merchandise, along with Playboy rabbit driver hats and the Rolling Stones tongue-and-everything logo. In 2022, Harley-Davidson clothing and equipment sales alone hit $270 million, which means that Harley’s clothing business is bigger than many major fashion brands. Goldin’s job is to add a more modern layer of sophistication to the offerings. To ensure that the next time you think about the brand, you can envision something a little more fashionable, like a t-shirt with a Screaming Eagle on it.

Perhaps something like what she was surrounded by a recent afternoon in Harley’s new Tribeca design studio. Goldin, best known in the industry for helping Kanye “Ye” West build Yeezy from the ground up, is perfecting Bar & Shield, one of three lines she will introduce to Harley in March as part of a project that features name HD Collection.

Looks from Bar & Shield, one of three new lines Goldin is introducing for the HD Collection

“It’s really about defining silhouettes,” says Goldin as she peruses a rack of all-black gear, most of which seem bulletproof. “Simple. Redraw, rebuild, super silent, super dark.” According to an industry survey, the average age of motorcyclists in the United States is increasing, from 47 to 50 between 2014-2019. Goldin’s content is clearly aimed at a younger demographic. much more—not retirees in patched leather vests like you, but a new generation of American-style rebels who love to ride CitiBikes but crave Chrome Hearts When young design assistants (some selected from Central Saint Martins, Harvard’s fashion schools, and Goldin’s alma mater) showed up, Goldin pulled out a group of leather goods that both had the feel of the Harley world and on trend: oversized black motorcycles with jackets cut from dense Vanson leather, alongside plain leather motorcycle pants, without a single embroidered patch on them.If Harley’s casual leather jackets expressing the somewhat outdated American spirit, these pieces are imbued with modern, almost eccentric styles — just like what Robert Map plethorpe would wear today to an underground techno club. It’s also how many young fashion aficionados, whose wardrobes combine chic, streetwear and classics, like to dress today.

According to Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz, the goal of the new project is to reach the right audience. “By extending our brand to those who empathize with Harley-Davidson’s attitude and adventurous spirit, whether they are riders or not, we believe the HD Collection offers the opportunity Social media is the first point of contact to attract new consumers to the brand,” says Zeitz.




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