Couture Gear—Cool or Crass?

October 24th, 2012 • BY Erinn Morgan

Gucci recently rolled out its $14,000 “off-road” bike, which was designed by the luxe brand’s creative director Frida Giannini and produced by Bianchi. What do you get for your $14,000? This baby’s got 11 speeds, a carbon fiber frame, disc brakes, plus the requisite Gucci marks including the design house’s signature stripes and a custom leather seat hand-stitched with the Gucci logo. Got a sugar daddy or extra cash to burn? Gucci also has a matching $900 helmet and $105 water bottle.

Over at Chanel, outdoor gear is old hat. The company debuted its $3,600 rosewood-and-aluminum Chanel skis two years ago and has expanded its reach into sporting accessories with an astounding lineup that includes fishing poles, snowboards (with an embedded four-leaf clover), surfboards, and a $17,000 commuter bike equipped with signature quilted Chanel panniers.

In an era where the cool factor of the outdoor adventure market has been greatly amped up, high fashion is truly meeting outdoor function—at least in the form of limited-edition designer-priced gear. The gripe with glam gear? Some say it lacks substance—and real engineering for performance. In fact, Skiing magazine wrote an open letter to Chanel when it bowed its skis, saying, basically, that their parabolic, rocker-less design was antiquated. Still, even more moderately priced brands have jumped into the outdoor market. Ralph Lauren, for example, with its Rugby division $2,200 men’s leather-saddled Tweed Run bicycle and coordinating line of tweed clothing. And, last year, even fashion icon Kate Spade partnered with Manhattan-based boutique bicycle retailer Adeline Adeline to offer a single-speed women’s bicycle with, of course, matching bags. Spade’s marketing pitch—the “enclosed chain case keeps hemlines safely out of harm’s way.” Amen to that.

Is couture gear cool or crass? You decide.

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About Erinn Morgan

After a 10-year career as an award-winning New York City-based editor launching and redesigning urban, style-driven magazines, Erinn Morgan left her downtown Manhattan digs after September 11th, 2001, in search of a less encumbered, freelance lifestyle. A life-changing, two-year-long trek around the country in a motorhome eventually landed her in Durango, Colo., which she now calls home. Her writing has appeared in numerous— More about this author →