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TECH NEWS
Paul Smith to design Rapha’s Team Sky kit?
Rapha are providing the kit for Team Sky next year – as we first told you waaaay back in August – and a little birdy has told us that none other than Sir Paul Smith is doing the designs.
When we say ‘a little birdy’ we actually mean Raleigh. And when we say ‘Raleigh’ we actually mean him off of the road.cc forum.
And how would Raleigh know? Well, there’s the interesting thing: Paul Smith told him so. Oh yes! Paul Smith himself.
Right, let’s start at the beginning. Raleigh is still at school… and it sounds like a right posh ’un to us because it’s the sort of place that has Paul Smith in to do a talk (we just had the nit nurse and some bloke telling us about the dangers of glue sniffing).
Anyway, while Paul Smith was enjoying a spot of lunch our man Raleigh, with a Paxman-like interrogation technique, got the truth out of him.
“I knew that he'd previously designed for Rapha, so I asked whether he'd done any kit for Sky next year, and he categorically said a big yes, “says Raleigh. “He seemed really excited about it, and his eyes genuinely lit up.”
Told you. Straight for the jugular. Textbook stuff from Raleigh. See, he’s a switched on kind of guy. On the ball. Clued up. Paul Smith has indeed worked with Rapha quite a bit – it's an obvious fit seeing as a lot of Rapha clothing is essentially Paul Smith PE kit. Plus, Paul Smith has been involved with the Rapha Condor Sharp cycling team. Plus, if there’s one thing everyone knows about Paul Smith – the man rather than the brand – it’s that he had dreams of being a pro cyclist when he was growing up. Plus... actually, that might be all the pluses. Be that as it may, everything slots into place.
So, Raleigh got a full and frank admission. He’ll go far, that boy.
What does the Team Sky kit look like? Well, we don't know that, to be honest. Rapha are keeping schtum. Their sponsorship contract starts on 1 January and, even though the road season is long finished, Team Sky are still sponsored by Adidas until then. Rapha have confirmed that they’re taking over… and that’s all. They're not saying any more, still less showing any kit, until January. Fair enough, but where’s the fun in that?
Here at road.cc we weren't going to let a little thing like the absence of pictures stand in our way. If Rapha wouldn't show us the designs, they left us with very little choice... we had to make up our own. Here’s what we reckon the jerseys will look like, based on stuff that’s floating around in our heads…
That design at the top of the page, that’s yer classic Paul Smith signature stripes. Shirts, scarves, socks, wallets… there’s a stripy version of pretty much everything Paul Smith makes. Maybe that’ll be extended over to the Team Sky jerseys.
The only thing is, it’s very Paul Smith and not very Rapha, so we really can’t see this one happening. Cool design though. We’d buy one. But Team Sky won’t be wearing this next year.
This one is purple, it has dots on, there’s a pink keyline along the edges of the chest band: it’s ticking all sorts of Rapha boxes. There’s even a story about an epic ride sewn inside one of the rear pockets (not shown). It’ll probably be made from Sportwool, the wool having come from sheep that graze on Alpe d’Huez or from Bernard Hainault’s private flock.
There’s a major problem, though. What if someone like Chris Froome takes the King of the Mountains white/red polka dot jersey in next year’s Tour de France? That’s going to wreak havoc on the visuals. Team Sky will look like a train wreck, and for that reason we’re out. Next!
Now we’re talking. It’s simple. It’s classic with a twist. It’s very Paul Smith and very Rapha. You have a band on the left arm, you have Team Sky blue in a keyline along the edges of the chest band, it follows all the Rapha brand guidelines, and it’s the type of jersey that’ll sell masses of replicas.
This is definitely the jersey that Team Sky will be wearing next year. Don’t forget that you saw it first on road.cc. And if it's not, blame Raleigh.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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48 comments
Wha…? A joke?
You mean the new Team Sky jerseys won't be made from Sportwool from sheep that graze on Alpe d'Huez or from Bernard Hinault's own private flock? …It all had such a ring of truth about it too
Seems I may have a bit of an exclusive here..ok here goes a friend of a friend has taken photos of the new Rapha Sky top....and all he has said is that it's mostly black with the sky logo..100% genuine led though...although we could of guessed that really
Hope this is a bad joke - and if it is, shame on you for even suggesting it.
#confirmed
Love the plain one.
Now Froomedog and Wiggo can look EVEN more moody!
I really hope they'll do a moody video on some godforsaken Scottish hill with no smiles and someone Reading the shipping forecast.
_
At the Locke Lunch when Paul Smith came, just after I had asked my question I brought my hands down off the table but flipped my Monkfish onto my PS shirt. It was pretty embarrasing, but he started unbuttoning his shirt and he was like;
'Here, Ill replace it for yers.'
He also revealed loads of other stuff, including collaborations with some pretty unlikely people, but that's another story...
Ooh, someone asked him whether e liked our school suit, and whether he'd do one fore us. He said he didn't do uniforms, and was the first to turn down the Olympic kit.
THE OLYMPIC KIT
This guy is soo cool.
-
The head of sixth form is tryig to get some Olympians in, Wiggo etc. Farah has been pencilled in, but I keep trying to pressure him toget DaveB in.
Wiggins would bw fun, but he'd probably HATE us, especially the stupid pseudo-intellectual questions people aske. Also, I can't really imagine him havibg much more to say than:
'I get up, eat my porridge, ride ma bike an sleep some.'
-
On the topic of pseudo intellectual questions, PS was giving out prizes (fragrances and scarves etc.) to people who asked questions because he said that most people are scared of speaking up. Someoe asked what his favourite colour to work with is and he said:
'You are NOT getting a prize for that!'
Monkfish! Is Jamie Oliver your school cook?
what was wrong with turkey twizzlers?
lol
There are three dining rooms depending on just how fine you want to dine. Ranges from Ham egg and Chips to Beef in Oyster sauce with wilted spinach.
Or you can go to the Pret on the way to the Science Block.
'Who cares, buying this over priced tat is more about showing off your bank balance.
'
I can't see a price anywhere in the article. I would imagine they'd sort the design first.
I won't be photo shopping it, but I'd like to see Sky in this Smith design, although I can only find it on a chair
http://www.selectism.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/paul-smith-mode...
Oh, just 250 different Paul Smith jerseys, was it? In that case it's entirely understandable!
Who cares, buying this over priced tat is more about showing off your bank balance.
That's right, all the jerseys were different, weren't they? How the hell did a first-year mountain bike event ever manage to swing a unique Paul Smith jersey for everyone who took part? Nuts!
Think it was just 250 jerseys, and it as an optional extra, from memory. Not to all entrants!
I spoke with somebody working on a trade stand at the the NEC Cycle Show this year who told me she had been working on the design of the Sky team kit for Rapha over the summer months.
Whilst she gave nothing specific away, and I didn't press too much to be honest, I got the distinct impression that the Sky team selected Rapha because they wanted to be seen to be promoting British business and that the Rapha Condor Sharp team kit was the template the new design would be based on. If so, I could see that Paul Smith may be more involved in designing a range of accessories and leisure wear as opposed to shirts and shorts.
I look forward to finding out on January 1st 2013.
paul smith's the rumour, not rapha
http://www.rapha.cc/teamsky/
Don't think its much of a rumour, exactly..
Well bugger it. I've never bought a team shirt in my life BUT I am a Paul Smith fan and have a few bits of (sale priced) Rapha which is well made so put the two together and I'll have two please. Especially if there's stripes and an endangered species involved
Tiger anyone?
That's right, all the jerseys were different, weren't they? How the hell did a first-year mountain bike event ever manage to swing a Paul Smith jersey for everyone who took part? Nuts!
I tried to buy the shed, actually, too.
Would have rocked in my garden.
You can't have a diagram, they were all unique. Have a photo of mine.
photo_9.JPG
2005 what Bonty what? Can I have a diagram?
Would expect a bit more pink, not to clash with Lampre though.
I also own one of the PS striped jerseys from 2005 Bonty 24/12 - if anybody wants to buy it. Only worn a couple of times.
And, I already have a blue with white hooped Rapha jersey from years ago. Cost me £20 in a sample sale. Maybe I will be on trend. For once!
Yeah, I did that event too but never went and picked up my jersey. Wonder if it's too late to ask them to mail it on.
I really hope they do something dignified. I mean I always thought Sky had the coolest kit in the peloton and I sure hope that isn't ruined now
I say. What Ho and pip pip to Raleigh. I hope you've given the young buck extra money for the tuck shop? Maybe he could start working for you in the holidays and get exclusives from the Team Sky bus.
It's not a million miles away from the Rapha Pro Team Cross jersey really.
Okay, anyone willing to sell off members of their family if we got him to do one of these… or maybe we could do our own signature stripes Oli seems to be good at this
paulsmith-roadcc.jpg
yep, they're going to draw straws when I get home to see which one of them is going on ebay
Tony, the wee lad is up on Gumtree as we speak
(Keeping my daughter - she sleeps all night)
and he calls himself a designer ...
Lots of people call him a designer… his design powers are so great that by just getting Oli to channel him we've come up with a top that Steven_L would sell his children for. That's pretty full-on design talent in my book. Makes me proud to be British!
The comments under this article are priceless.
Nothing about this story is hugely surprising. I just wonder how much leeway there is for creative design when the main purpose of a team jersey is to get maximum media exposure for the brand?
Makes more sense for Paul to help out with the spin-off 'lifestyle' range IMO.
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