French cycling brand Urban Circus sets out to reinvent hi-vis with street art influences

“It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t match anything, but it can save lives.”

That’s according to Karl Lagerfeld in road safety adverts after yellow safety vests were made obligatory for cyclists in France riding after dark in urban areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we’re not entirely convinced that yellow tabards are life savers, but we do wholeheartedly believe that cyclists need to make themselves seen at night through a combination of stellar bike lights and reflective detailing. Riding on dark roads at night, in dark clothes, without lights, is a recipe for disaster. All road users need to make themselves visible to others at night.

When the safety vest became mandatory for cyclists at night in France, Parisian cyclists and entrepreneurs Quentin and Henri decided they had to reinvent hi-vis to keep people cycling in the face of this legislation.

The pair united under the name of Urban Circus. From an engineering and fashion design background, they are able to combine fashion and technology to offer a ‘fashiontech’ alternative to traditional hi-vis incorporating slick design, stylish fit and respected safety standards (EN 20471). The safety vest is no longer ugly and boring: Urban Circus have transformed it into covetable apparel. Desirable streetwear, with a vital purpose.

The Urban Circus moodboard is an anthem to the street and to street art, with exciting artistic collaborations from artists such as Rafael Sliks, Moyoshi, Kosla.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Ulule in 2015, Urban Circus wants to spread the word globally through a new campaign on Kickstarter which will launch on Friday 11th November. After a year of R&D and user feedback, Urban Circus is gearing up to reach the international cycling market. We’ll be bringing you further details of the crowdfunding campaign when it launches.