Down one of many well-known De Negen Straatjes, or 9 streets, of Amsterdam, town’s coolest purchasing district, lies MAAP’s LaB Amsterdam, the model’s first everlasting store outdoors of Australia. In case you handle to dodge the bikes, that are so ubiquitous within the metropolis, you discover will end up within the Melbourne outfit’s outpost on this facet of the world.
The understated store, filled with plain wooden and brushed metallic, is a key plank within the biking clothes firm’s plans to ascertain greater than a foothold in Europe, to be talked about in the identical breath because the likes of Rapha. It is greater than a store too, it is a LaB, which stands for Life Round Bikes, a group hub for MAAP to work from.
“We intention to mirror MAAP’s dedication to efficiency, innovation, and group in each facet of the shop design, from the format to the decor to the group rides, activations and companions,” Misha Glisovic, MAAP’s chief artistic officer, mentioned. “It is about creating an area the place cyclists and the artistic group really feel at house and impressed to embark on a life round bikes.”
Much more than being a group hub and a store, although, it’s an expression of the model’s intent in Europe. In Australia, its equipment may be pretty ubiquitous, however in Europe, that is simply an intention.
“The European market is an unbelievable inspiration for MAAP,” Ian Elliott, MAAP’s chief advertising and marketing officer, defined to Biking Weekly final month, the day of its official launch. “That is each from reverence for the historical past of biking, but in addition seeing how the market is modern. Our intent is to be completely investing extra in Europe.
“The shop in Amsterdam is the primary expression of that, however different expressions embrace Lifeplus-Wahoo, the best way we’re investing in our wholesale community throughout Europe, creating a wide range of group experiences…
“As we glance to go ahead, persevering with to put money into Europe is a part of our total progress technique. Persevering with to roll out MAAP LaBs throughout Europe is one thing we’ll proceed, we’re Berlin and London.”
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The primary store has opened in Amsterdam, not essentially as a result of the Netherlands is the model’s greatest market, however due to town’s reference to bikes is so deep. It’s a place the place life on two wheels is simply pure.
“There have been a number of cities throughout Europe that basically stood out when it comes to locations that we would like to be part of, and Amsterdam was completely a kind of locations,” Elliot mentioned. “The distinctive historical past that Amsterdam has with bikes is one thing that is particular and must be celebrated.
“For us as a model that was born in Australia and wished to proceed to speculate extra within the European market, Amsterdam – given its historical past with bikes and the nation’s relationship with the Grand Excursions {and professional} biking – it was a very easy choice of the place to start out.”
(Picture credit score: MAAP/Alberto Viciana)
MAAP are a model with ambition, Elliott says that everybody on the firm is “insatiable”. The growth in to Europe is most clear with the bodily store, however it’s also current within the deal to provide kits to Lifeplus-Wahoo, the British ladies’s conti group, and a raft of rides that the model is placing on, together with not too long ago for the spring equinox.
“We have now the great fortune of having the ability to construct a model and identification which is contributing to one thing we love,” he defined. “That is how we’re going to hold making significant investments which might be working propel the game of biking ahead.
“It’s a must to pair the insatiable urge for food with a methodical method to including worth. In case you’re always insatiable, you’d burn out. That is one thing we discuss lots about at Maap, and is one thing Oli [Cousins] and Jarrad [Smith] our co-founders are actually considerate about. We will solely achieve this a lot. The issues we’re going to put money into, they must be significant and impactful.”
“Our objective is to proceed rising our retail channel to supply cyclists globally with entry to top-quality attire and an impressed artistic group passionate a few life round bikes,” Cousins added. “We’re excited concerning the alternatives that lie forward and look ahead to welcoming much more riders into the MAAP group as we develop our footprint worldwide.”
Whereas different manufacturers are on-line solely, MAAP’s advance into bodily area is an attention-grabbing one, constructing one thing a bit totally different; it has the same old ambassadors and influencers, however Elliott mentioned it’s also within the grassroots and group.
“In case you’re working solely on-line, then you definately’re actually restricted in your potential to interact with the local people and the people which might be respiratory life into the tradition of the game that, in the end, you need to be part of contributing to,” he defined.
“The gorgeous factor concerning the sport of biking is that there is artists, there’s cooks, there’s writers, there’s journalists, there’s designers, there’s architects, who all discover pleasure and inspiration via biking. For us at MAAP, the entire concept of a LaB is to really interact with the opposite companies and different members of the group which might be actively contributing to the tradition of biking.”
(Picture credit score: MAAP/Alberto Viciana)
MAAP may appear to be a cool model, which is partly to do with a stage of shortage, however the firm is eager to develop to a stage to problem the large beasts of European biking clothes, whereas retaining its ethos.
“Cool is an extremely subjective concept,” Elliot mentioned. “If we transfer away from the concept of cool for a second and take into consideration values. MAAP’s ambition and intention is at all times about including worth to the areas and locations that we’re collaborating in and permitting others to really feel welcome to take possession over the course, and to have the ability to deliver their identification to MAAP itself. That is a big a part of why we’re playful with designs.
“To be a resonant model requires you to be a participant in the neighborhood, requires you to be curious. It’s a must to be actively listening, and asking questions on how we are able to add worth.”
“MAAP may be very concerned in desirous to develop the game of biking,” Elliot added. “Inviting folks into it. If we will help any individual see that there are all kinds of individuals within the area of biking, and it invitations them in, then that is superb. If we are able to obtain that by celebrating life on bikes, that is the last word intention.”
By way of the LaBs, the group rides and different tasks, MAAP goals to develop itself, in addition to biking, in Europe. Do not be stunned to see a number of extra folks in Melbourne-designed jerseys this summer time.
