BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Vulpine was launched in March, with a five-strong cycle-specific clothing range. The product range has now expanded to 16 items, which will double by spring next year, including a women’s range. Available initially only online the line-up is now also available at Tokyo Fixed, and Bike Boutique in London, BikeShak in Altrincham near Manchester and Siempre Cafe Bar in Glasgow.
The Vulpine Xmas Cycling Fete was held on Saturday and attracted 900 cyclists to the Balham bowls club in London. Other firms involved included Morvelo, Milk Bikes, Michaux Club, Rouleur magazine and Cyclodelic.
Vulpine co-founder Nick Hussey said: "Cycling is becoming more and more innovative, fun, creative and vibrant. We wanted to reflect that. The fetes are free to attend and to be a stallholder at, though we do request a donation to cycling charities. This time it was Save Herne Hill Velodrome and Rollapaluza Outreach."
Hussey says Vulpine plans to hold a number of similar events each year. The next one is the Manchester Vulpine Cycling Fete on the 16th and 17th of February, in association with the Bike & Triathlon Show.
Jools Walker recently became the micro-brand’s sales and marketing manager. Walker is owner of the Velo City Girl Blog, and was one of the presenters on ITV4’s The Cycle Show.
Since launch Hussey has been invited to speak on cycling and entrepreneurialism on BBC World Service, BBC News 24, and Sky News.
Vulpine have also done popup shops at Universal Music, Oscar-winning film company The Mill and top ad agencies Abott Mead Vickers BBDO, BBH, Leo Burnett and Fallon. Plus they were an inaugural company involved with major small business initiatives Startup Britain and Popup Britain.
Hussey said:
"After all the research and scrabbling about to even get Vulpine off the ground, and how hard it was to find people who actually had faith that there was a market for performance casual cycling clothing, to have got where we have in the time blows me away."
