CRCA Club Series
Transformativeapparel concept and event branding.
Typically in amateur racing, a bright yellow jersey is used to signify a winner or series leader, both as homage and hope to emulate the pros in the Tour de France. However, as the oldest and largest bike racing club in the US, CRCA has begun to leverage their privilege to help build up underrepresented groups in the local bike racing scene, and were looking for a new leader’s jersey to represent that mission.
With that purpose in mind, a rainbow voronoi pattern was developed and elevated through bespoke detailing, giving CRCA the opportunity to stand out from its peers whilst welcoming folks to join them.
First fanart of my work — from Josh Lipka
Transformative design
A key aspect of the design utilized a cyclist’s position on & off the bike to transform the kit’s appearance. The rainbow pattern was placed so that when the wearer was in the peloton, only the iconic yellow of the leader’s jersey is visible — highlighting their identity as the series leader. However, once they stand up on the podium, the design transforms and reveals the full rainbow colorway, bringing all the members & identities of the club up with them to the top.
Process work
Starting out with mood and inspiration boards, CRCA’s use of the hashtag #UnitedColorsOfCRCA, the myriad teams assembled within the club, and the desire to be different and yet inclusive of every team’s own jersey designs. A general theme focused on geometrics and rainbow/all over color emerged; avoiding large blocks of color or clashing textile patterns meant that while the design wouldn’t match any team’s existing kit, it wouldn’t clash with it either.
To create the geometric pattern, a Voronoi algorithm was used via parametric programming in CAD to quick generate multiple iterations of the texture and color spread. The Voronoi algorithm was chosen due to its geometric form derived from biological cell structures; despite being a digital construction, it retains its organic routes and forms, humanizing the texture rather than seeming overly technical.
