PPQ’s 2012/2013 fall/winter collection was the first time in the
history of London Fashion Week to feature a bike on the catwalk.
Today, bicycles are
everywhere from the roads to boutique window displays to your garage (if you
have one). Since its humble beginnings, new meanings and associations
constantly transform the bicycle. Bicycle culture is becoming normalized as
bikes are integrated into consumer culture in new and sometimes unexpected
ways. The increase in environmentalism creates opportunities for the
wealthy to own and customize bicycles that will reflect their sense of
luxury. Whether or not a consensus may be reached as to how the bicycle
should be used, safety and convenience will (and should) remain as the highest
concerns.
Bicycles should be accepted
as part of consumer culture, no matter the form in which the bike is used,
because there is potential for increased ridership. Ultimately, celebrity
endorsements create positive representation not only for bikes, but their own
self-image.
Bicycles entering the
sphere of hip, trendy accessories was inevitable. Within our capitalist
culture, it was only a matter of time before someone took the opportunity to
use the bike as a prop to turn it into a product people wanted (needed!).
However, this type of application is problematic, because it turns
the bike into a passive object.
Betsey John capitalizes on
the cool factor of bicycling to promote herself as fun and energetic at the end
of a runway show.
Her line featured elements
such as road lines on the catwalk, street projections in the background, and
models both holding and wearing bike parts such as wheels, helmets and bike
chains.
Her “Ride Me” chokers sold
out within the first week in her stores and online.
It’s strange when a
counterculture is repackaged so that consumers may be convinced that to buy it
will improve or enhance their lives and image. What makes the bicycle
different, from that of something like British punk culture incorporated into
American fashion during the ‘80s, is that bicycles have some positive
associations: riders are seen as leading healthy/active lifestyles and bicycles
are safer on the environment than cars.
So what’s the problem with fashion bikes on a runway, for
instance?
Clearly, it is silly and
unrealistic to think that some of the styling (whether tight/long clothes or 6
inch wedge heels) can be worn safely (if at all) while cycling.
It is also understandable
that people against a consumptive and wasteful society don’t want to see
bicycles associated with materialism. Still, it’s unavoidable since we live in
a society based on free enterprise. While bikes are put onto the market in
higher numbers, this could be a chance for continued improvements in
technology, comfort and (most importantly) safety.
“Mobility Celebrity”
Celebrities are play an
important role in the fashion industry, as they are often cues for the latest
trends. People follow their lead. However, someone who doesn’t buy into this
unavoidable thing called pop culture probably wouldn’t want to see celebrities
pretending to engage in cycling: whether for film shoots or paparazzi purposes.
http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/celebs-on-bikes-12453.gallery?photoId=52324#!wallState=0__%2Fmovies%2Fcelebs-on-bikes-12453.gallery%3FphotoId%3D52423[
However, the positive that
comes out of bicycles entering the mainstream as the cool thing to do is that
there is the potential for increased ridership. Celebrity culture affects our
society beyond reasonable comprehension (don’t tell me you’ve never been
infatuated with someone you’ve never met, but saw in a movie once or 10 times).
Considering how famous people are idolized and looked to as role models, for
children and adults (aka pretty much everyone), I don’t see why something as
healthy as bicycling can’t and shouldn’t be endorsed.
Bridging the Gap: Redefining Bicycle Culture
“Style-themed bike rides
are just one way in which advocacy groups are hoping to shed bicycling of its
strict association with competitive racing and make it more appealing to casual
riders and potential commuters in the United States.”
Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Can there be a middle
ground? I think so. Missoni created a line of fashionable bicycles at an
affordable price that sold exclusively at Target stores. They sold out almost
completely on the first day.
Reactions?
http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-style/news/celebrities-react-to-missoni-for-target-mania-2011149
Cycle Chic
“A phrase coined in the
mid-2000s by Danish 'bicycle ambassador' Mikael Colville-Andersen on his
website, Copenhagenize.com, which highlights the Danish capital's bicycle
culture.”
The thing about trends is
that they don’t last, but their effect remains. Fashion is marketed towards
people with money (or credit), so once something stops making money it leaves
the shelves to make room for the next big thing.
What makes bicycling unique
is that it won’t disappear just because Gucci decides not to make another one.
I don’t think we’re going to have to get used to seeing bikes in used
unconventional ways in advertisements. Brands are beginning to utilize the
misconceptions surrounding bicycle culture by profiting on clothing and
merchandise that allows for dressing for the destination and not the journey.
