Giro are becoming well-known for their collaborations with artists and creators the world over. The Giro x Bicycle Nightmares Collection is a recent example – a collab with Hector Saura for a limited edition collection of apparel including leather Outsider gloves. This time, the Giro x Yasuda Collection is inspired by Giro Creative Director Eli Atkins’ decades-long admiration for fellow designer Hironori Yasuda.
The fruits of this partnership are a selection of limited edition road cycling and mountain biking helmets, shoes, and apparel for men and women.
Origins of Yasuda Collection
Hironori Yasuda is the mysterious man behind a legendary series of graphic design journals known as SPATS. From the late ‘80s through the ‘90s, the SPATS series gained cult classic status with large design agencies, edgy freelancers, and in-house design departments.
While Yasuda’s art became prolific, with a total of 20 books and thousands of bold black and white prints, the man behind the art remained an enigma.
“I’d meet other artists and designers and the SPATS books would often come up in conversation. Some people had books four and seven and nine while others would only have a single copy of say, book three, with missing pages and extensive wear. None of us knew anything about the artist. It was all shrouded in mystery,” Eli says.
Over the next 20 years, Eli sought out and purchased different SPATS books, some of them so rare that they cost hundreds of dollars, all of them offering bold patterns for other artists to use copyright-free. The mystery became unbearable.
“These days you can find anyone and learn anything about them in a five-minute Google search. If they’re not on Facebook, then they’re on Instagram or LinkedIn,” Eli says.
“But searching Hironori Yasuda only turns up a limited number of random SPATS patterns … no images of the artist himself, it was like he was just a ghost.” This ghost was one of Eli’s biggest influences, a guiding light of inspiration in pattern making, his hero of technique and output.
“I wanted to do a Giro kit with one of his patterns, and even though they’re copyright-free, I knew I had to get Yasuda-san’s approval first,” he says. “It was a matter of respect. I had to tell him, ‘hey, there’s a guy on the other side of the world whose entire career was inspired by many works of your art.’”
Giro x Yasuda Apparel
The Giro x Yasuda Limited Edition Collection covers both road and mountain bike apparel for men and women. Here are some of the standout items from the collection.
This Giro men’s road cycling jersey, in the limited edition Yasuda colorway will set you back $110. The Chrono Expert Jersey is available in sizes S-XXL. It features a full length front zipper with soft zipper guard, three expandable storage pockets and one secure zip pocket. The women’s version retails at $110, too.
Men’s and women’s bib shorts enter the Giro x Yasuda Collection. These Women’s Chrono Expert Bib Shorts are performance oriented with the convenience of an easy-to-remove halter design. Available in XS-XL, the Yasuda bib shorts are made from premium Italian fabrics to ensure optimal compression and comfort. They feature a storage pocket at the rear and a reflective logo.
Both the Giro Aether road helmet and the Giro Montaro mountain bike helmet also feature as part of the Giro x Yasuda limited edition collection. These helmets are MIPS-equipped to protect riders from rotational impacts. They retail at $350 and $160, respectively.
The Giro x Yasuda Empire SLX Shoe will retail at $375. Available in sizes 39-48, this road cycling shoe features a one-piece light weight monofilament “Synchwire” mesh upper designed around a classic laced closure.
Thermal-welded Teijin TPU adds structural support and a high-modulus Easton EC90 SLX2 carbon fiber plate provides a good stiffness-to-weight for power transfer.
Also featured in the Giro x Yasuda Collection are Giro’s Arc Shorts, DND Gloves, Rouse MTB Jersey, Comp Racer High Rise Sock, Peloton Cap, Jag Glove and Merino Wool sock. Check out the full collection on the Giro website.
