Badge engineering is still engineering, Y/Y?
My jaw, it was on the floor. And why? Because, after what seems like ages of dancing around the concept of melding
motorcycle gear
with
fashion
, the internationally-known high-end fashion house Balenciaga has seemingly sealed the deal. FINALLY.
See, instead of making yet another motorcycle gear inspired design, this time Balenciaga went all in and teamed up with actual motorcycle gear maker Alpinestars. Very specifically, the pair are releasing a special Balenciaga-edition SuperTech R10 helmet.
It’s part of Alpinestars’ Winter 2025 collection, and is apparently available for pre-order at select locations, according to the official Instagram announcement.
Pricing isn’t mentioned anywhere in the post, but presumably it’s one of those things where if you have to even ask, you’re not the intended target for this product. Will it cost an arm? A leg? Two kidneys? Unclear, but at least you’ve now got an actual, functional full-face motorcycle helmet that should neatly meet ECE 22.06, FIM, and DOT (giggle) standards.
That’s at least got to count for something, right? The two previous stabs at moto-inspired clothing that Balenciaga has so far been involved with (seriously, click the two earlier links in this piece if you’re unfamiliar, because we’ve written about both of them) were in no way meant to be actual motorcycle safety gear. So this; this is a change.
Probably a perfect thing to wear on your Aston Martin/Brough Superior AMB-001 as you indulge in the most luxurious track day known to man, right? I mean, I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum; you do you, and if this lid will convince someone to wear a helmet who otherwise wouldn’t, I’m all for it.
But, and this is a serious question, is all this evidence stacking up meant to indicate that Balenciaga not-so-secretly wants to get into making ultra high-end, luxury motorcycle gear? The kind of stuff that would even make
Hedon
blush?
Please, do tell us what you think in the comments. Operators are standing by.
Dress Up Time
- Is the Brummell Blazer the Only Motorcycle Jacket You’ll Ever Need?
- Alpinestars’ Redefines Fast Fashion, but for the Better
