This Limited-Edition Female Mountain Bike Capsule Was Co-Designed By Amélie Graef

Some exciting news from Swedish sportswear brand, Peak Performance: the brand is partnering with Munich-based art director and graphic designer Amélie Graef for a limited-edition female mountain bike capsule collection, launching today. Featuring four unique items, Amélie’s inspiration came from the power of symbols, and how they can act as tools to push and motivate you while also serving as a canvas for individual expression. Each symbol featured within the collection is intricately associated with the spirit of mountain biking, embodying the thrill and perseverance inherent in the sport. We chatted with her to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Please tell us a bit about yourself to start!

I am an independent female Art Director and Graphic Designer living in Munich. From corporate to fashion – the best thing about my job is that it never gets boring. One week I am knee-deep into brand strategies thinking about how I can transform a brand’s vision into bespoke visuals, the next week I am thinking up fun stuff like doormats and shirts with illustrations. In between, my colleague and I are probably designing an exhibition booth or I might have had a sudden impulse to re-design our GRL PCK Teambikes so you’d probably find me spray-painting something in the middle of the night! Whenever I’m not working you can find me somewhere outside on my bike, skis, in my running shoes, having pizza, and people-watching to see what people are wearing. These are basically my favorite things to do. 

Can you tell us about the range, and the inspiration behind your designs for the Peak Performance Female Mountain Biking Collab?

I would say that the inspiration for these designs is  rooted in  my own story – being part of a female cycling team that rides not for performance, but for the fun of it, I am very privileged to share my passion with like-minded people. That said, , breaking into the cycling world wasn’t always easy. This bubble was, and still is, male dominated and the pressure to perform is never really…”off“. Having struggled with mental health issues myself, I know it’s not easy to distance yourself from expectations not only regarding performance but also body image among other things.  Even though I know that the only thing that matters is that the sport should be fun and let me feel good about myself. So I thought to come up with something that always reminds you to take good care of yourself, to listen to your gut feeling and to trust the trail you just chose. Every day can be different, so can this sport be to every other person and that’s totally fine. That’s why the collection is full of motivating and colorful mantras and scribbles – cycling should be fun, not intimidating or exclusive. Empowering people – especially women – to be brave, adventurous and supportive, that’s the main inspiration behind this collection.

What made this partnership a perfect fit for you, personally and as an artist?

When Peak Performance asked me to do this collab, I couldn’t believe my ears. I had previously followed the Trailblazer Program, already having been a big fan of the program’s ambassadors, Hedvig Wessel and Elisabeth Gerritzen. Being a female athlete and designer, I loved that this collection would finally create a bridge between my favorite things: fashion, design and sports while simultaneously  transporting the values that my team stands for. I think that (outdoor) brands in general still have a long way to go when it comes to really embracing and addressing gender-diversity within all of its facets. So naturally I love that Peak Performance found a way to address this subject and give female athletes a stage.For me, it was absolutely gold that they let me explore the Trailblazer subject on my own terms while having both serious and playful exchanges about it. Everyone was so positive and supportive along the way, which made this project one of my favorites so far!