Rapha has teamed up with designer Robyn Lynch for a high fashion capsule collection, including showpieces such as a £450 cycling windbreaker/knitwear jacket combo made of repurposed garments from deadstock and pre-existing fabrics. The collection was teased at London Fashion Week back in summer, but is now available to buy exclusively at Browns Fashion. 

> Review: Rapha Men’s Classic Winter Gore-Tex Jacket

Rapha is no stranger to collabs, recently causing one of the biggest cycling kit crazes in living memory with the Rapha X Palace collection as worn by EF Pro Cycling at the Giro d’Italia – the unique jerseys were popping up on eBay for £600, and many of the items sold out in minutes. We’re guessing that this collection won’t inspire quite so much excitement, and it’s gear that definitely looks more at home on the catwalk than in the saddle. 

rapha x robyn-lynch knitted bib-t-shirt
rapha x robyn-lynch knitted bib-t-shirt (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Useful if you’re prone to dropping bits of cake down you at the cafe stop

If you need to stay dry and don’t need to stay dry all at once and have £450 that you need to part with, then the Panelled Jacket (main pic) is the one for you. Made of ‘reappropriated’ garments, the jacket appears to be largely made up of a fluorescent Rapha windbreaker with some sections cut off to make way for ribbed knitwear. There’s also the Hybrid Knitted Bib tee (above, £250) that is made up of a crew neck technical t-shirt and a detachable bib made from “surplus knits”. If the curious sports gear/knitwear combo is not for you, the there’s always the Zip Pocket or Panelled t-shirts, both costing £115 each. 

robyn lynch x rapha hybrid shorts
robyn lynch x rapha hybrid shorts (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

The item that looks the most practical for actual cycling is the Hybrid Shorts set (£250), that is “double the fun” according to Browns Fashion thanks to the cycling short under layer, with a casual pair of relaxed shorts on top – you can also detach them to wear the cycling shorts separately. 

Speaking to GQ about her creations, Robyn Lynch said: “Rapha’s level of construction on all of its garments really fascinates me.

“The team has specific pattern-cutting techniques which follow the form and function of a body when moving and cycling and these manipulation techniques are really interesting. The secret pockets for different functions are an inspiration to me when I am in the early stages of design and research.”

The collection is available exclusively at Browns Fashion; but if you prefer your cycling gear completely new and a bit more conventional then you can always head over to Rapha’s own website. The brand isn’t taking part in Black Friday this year, instead running a ‘Black Friday Ride’ challenge with the aim to ride one million collective kilometres between participants, then donate 1,000 bikes to those who need them afterwards – you can find out more about that here.