Designer Q&A: Velocity Collection

Question 1

Hi Lloyd! Can you tell us how Velocity came about?

Accepted Answer

For Velocity, we wanted to create technical, innovative performance product. We saw the need for elevated, sleek, sophisticated design targeted towards athletes who incorporate lots of high cardio training into their routines, be this running, HIIT, or cycling. We married together technical performance properties with a sleek, modern design aesthetic to create an elevated, premium performance collection.

Question 2

Who was Velocity made for?

Accepted Answer

This collection is built with the modern metropolitan athlete in mind. Whether you’re cycling on your commute, doing a HIIT workout at the trendiest boutique gym, or simply running your daily 5K, this collection is suitable for all cardio workouts no matter your training preference or ability. We see this consumer wanting technical attributes to their products, with minimal fuss and maximum utility, completely distraction-free.

Question 3

How do you want someone to feel when they wear the collection?

Accepted Answer

We have developed a technical design language for Velocity. With technical finishes and modern, contemporary styling, we want the wearer to feel like they are putting on their super suit. We have designed this collection to work within synergy to your body, with technical reactive fabrics. The wearer will feel empowered that they could do anything, be this run their fastest mile or cycle their furthest distance we want to be a part of facilitating their journey.

Question 4

What can you tell us about the design process?

Accepted Answer

This was our first season designing Velocity, so for us, it was really important to establish a strong foundation on what velocity is, what it does, and what it looks like. I really enjoyed researching high cardio activities, experimenting with new fabric innovations, and establishing this collection to be built upon for future seasons to come.

Question 5

What were your main considerations when designing this collection?

Accepted Answer

Our main considerations when designing this collection were about synergy. It's important that the garments work in synergy with the athlete and it's our job as designers and developers to facilitate this relationship – be this through the fabric, fit, or design.

Question 6

What makes the collection's colour palette so important?

Accepted Answer

For this collection we wanted to keep it really sleek, therefore we went for a complete monochromatic colour pallet. We experimented with textural details, such as engineered jacquards and laser perforation to create distraction-free interest. We used textural contrasts of matte and shine, to create a premium feel and reflective attributes. We really wanted to make this collection sophisticated and to let the technical attributes speak for themselves.

Question 7

How will these products improve the wearer's workout experience?

Accepted Answer

When running or doing a HIIT workout, we understand that heat and sweat will be the athletes' two pain points, therefore we wanted to tackle these problems. For the t-shirts, we developed our own new fabric. We did thorough research into heat and sweat zone body mapping, which is where it shows the maximum areas of heat and sweat are when working out. From this, we have strategically engineered mesh structures in these high sweat areas to ensure maximum wicking and breathability. We have also ensured our garments are built with mobility in mind, with 4-way stretch woven and jersey inserted panels to ensure a full range of motion. We also added fused reflective elements to ensure visibility when undertaking outdoor activity in low light environments.

Question 8

What are the main features of the collection?

Accepted Answer

The main features are the technical finishes that really elevate the range, such as the matte fused taping, the reflective fused taping, the laser perforation, and the strategically engineered mesh structures. You will also note additional subtle uses of our logo within these executions, but we’ll let you discover that for yourself!

Question 9

Can you tell us more about the fabrics and why you chose them?

Accepted Answer

It was really important that for the tops of this collection we created our own fabric innovation. We know how annoying it can be when your t-shirt can't wick sweat away quickly enough. Therefore, it was our challenge as a design team to create an innovative solution for this! The wicking properties, alongside the knit of the fabric for the tops, results in a successful solve!

Question 10

How were the garments researched, tested and developed? Has this changed from previous collections?

Accepted Answer

We have partnered up with both internal and external athletes for this collection, working with a mix of abilities and different activities. These garments have already undertaken HIIT workouts, long-distance running, cycling, and even skating. They have been tested indoors, outdoor, hot, cold, day, night, rain, and shine! We have learned a lot whilst developing this collection and put our learnings to work.

Question 11

What Is your favourite piece within the collection and why?

Accepted Answer

I can't pick just one favourite from this collection. My two favourites are the joggers and t-shirt. They have become my go-to training kit already and I wear them for a mix of running, HIIT workouts and even aerial! I love the fit of the joggers. They taper nice and tight towards the calf so you don’t have any excess annoying fabric - our best fitting jogger to date for sure! I usually pair them with the black t-shirt. I feel super sleek when wearing this outfit and absolutely love the fabric of the t-shirt! I have also achieved my personal fastest runs when wearing these, I'm sure they helped! The reflective detailing also gives me an extra boost of confidence when running outside, especially now coming into Autumn/Winter.

Question 12

What is the future looking like for Velocity in SS21?

Accepted Answer

Velocity is about to get even bigger and better, with an even wider product offering and more technical outlook, Velocity SS21 will offer our first running specific range. It will encompass lots of technical features and reflectivity! I have already said too much... but it’s a very exciting range and possibly my favourite range to date!

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