From time to time we’ll be taking you behind the scenes to tell you more about G4 and how it operates. Today we’re discussing the new G4 winter and mid-season collection, King and Queen, with founders Geoffroy Lequatre and Petra Harangi.
Interviewer: Where did you find the inspiration for your designs King and Queen?
Geoffroy: Following our HIS and HER summer collection, I wanted to continue my matching theme for both genders. I was inspired by the royal-majestic style, which quite naturally brings the colour gold with it. I wanted to highlight the cycling kit and add matching accessories but, to a certain extent, I was limited by the properties of the available materials and the intended use of the clothes.
From original idea, through all its iterations, to the final agreed product took around six months’ and many, many hours of work.
Interviewer: The gold stitching is distinctive yet subtle. I’ve never seen gold used in such a way before on cycling kit. That was quite a bold move, wasn’t it?
Geoffroy: Yes, you’re right! Gold has to be used delicately, even if it’s a fashionable and very now colour. So, we didn’t use it too much. We didn’t over-do it, just on the logos, overstitching and zips to give a really elegant feel to the collection. And, it’s also true that it’s really hard to introduce a new aspect of style to the cycling world!
Interviewer: What dictated your choice of materials for the King and Queen range and can you tell me a bit about their technical properties?
Petra: G4’s material choice is always based on two equally important things: the latest available high-tech materials and how they look and perform.
For this winter, we had to ensure that our choice reflected the ethos of the collection. We not only had to source contrasting materials with a sheen but also the gold yarn (piping, overstitching, embroidery) and matching accessories, such as zips and buttons. Shiny and metallic-effect colours are currently very fashionable.
G4 is renowned for its high quality, we have to ensure that equal attention is given to the technical proprieties as well as the look of each of the garments. For example, with the jackets we had to consider and test important criteria such as weight, stretch, warmth, breathability, moisture wicking properties plus protection from wind and rain.
Including the testing done on the fit and form of the garments, it all adds up to over a year’s work.
Interviewer: Having in effect two jackets for the price of one is quite a novel idea. How did you come up with this?
Petra: It’s a great innovation which has garnered us good feedback from both our distributors and clients. The idea, as usual, came from Geoffroy. While riding in the professional peloton, he always had problems riding in the mountains in his winter kit; in particular, he would feel the chill on his chest on the long descents. Additionally, living on the Cote d’Azur, you can have big changes in temperatures during a ride. For example, it might be 18C in the sunshine on the coast but just a 30 minute ride into the Niçois hinterland and the temperature can be down to 1C or even colder. It’s difficult to change clothes during a ride unless you take a haversack or have the luxury of a following vehicle. So he thought logically about how to practically resolve this problem for all riders and came up with the idea of a “2 in 1 Winter Jacket.”
Interviewer: In general, what has been the response to King and Queen from your clients?
Petra: They’ve loved the name, the notion and the colour scheme. They’ve felt like Kings and Queens of the road during their rides!
This winter has been quite mild so far, so a lot of clients have used the jacket with the interior vest unzipped in mid-season mode. Equally, we have clients who live at high altitude and in colder climates. They’ve been totally satisfied with the additional layer of protection afforded in the front of the jacket with the inner vest zipped. It’s kept them really warm. It’s not just the cold; the jackets also perform well in the wet. Just last week, a customer advised us that she was impressed with the performance of the material, particularly the carbon fabric on the back of the jacket, which ensured she remained both warm and dry.
Why don’t you take on the elements and emerge victorious this winter and spring with the full range of cycling kit and accessories in G4’s King and Queen collection. Look and feel regal on the roads!
Links: G4 on-line boutique
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