Down one of many well-known De Negen Straatjes, or 9 streets, of Amsterdam, the town’s coolest purchasing district, lies MAAP’s LaB Amsterdam, the model’s first everlasting store outdoors of Australia. When 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, stuffed 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 neighborhood hub for MAAP to work from.
“We goal to mirror MAAP’s dedication to efficiency, innovation, and neighborhood in each side of the shop design, from the format to the decor to the neighborhood rides, activations and companions,” Misha Glisovic, MAAP’s chief inventive officer, mentioned. “It is about creating an area the place cyclists and the inventive neighborhood really feel at house and impressed to embark on a life round bikes.”
Much more than being a neighborhood hub and a store, although, it’s an expression of the model’s intent in Europe. In Australia, its equipment is likely to be pretty ubiquitous, however in Europe, that is simply an goal.
“The European market is an unimaginable 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 additionally 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 embody Lifeplus-Wahoo, the best way we’re investing in our wholesale community throughout Europe, creating quite a lot of neighborhood experiences…
“As we glance to go ahead, persevering with to put money into Europe is a part of our general progress technique. Persevering with to roll out MAAP LaBs throughout Europe is one thing we’ll proceed, we’re taking a look at 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 the 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 actually stood out when it comes to locations that we would like to be part of, and Amsterdam was completely a type of locations,” Elliot mentioned. “The distinctive historical past that Amsterdam has with bikes is one thing that is particular and needs to be celebrated.
“For us as a model that was born in Australia and needed to proceed to take a position 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 determination of the place to begin.”
(Picture credit score: MAAP/Alberto Viciana)
MAAP are a model with ambition, Elliott says that everybody on the firm is “insatiable”. The enlargement in to Europe is most clear with the bodily store, however additionally it is current within the deal to produce kits to Lifeplus-Wahoo, the British ladies’s conti staff, and a raft of rides that the model is placing on, together with not too long ago for the spring equinox.
“Now we have the nice fortune of with 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 maintain making significant investments which are working propel the game of biking ahead.
“You must pair the insatiable urge for food with a methodical strategy to including worth. When you’re always insatiable, you’ll burn out. That is one thing we speak quite a bit about at Maap, and is one thing Oli [Cousins] and Jarrad [Smith] our co-founders are actually considerate about. We are able to solely achieve this a lot. The issues we’re going to put money into, they should be significant and impactful.”
“Our aim is to proceed rising our retail channel to supply cyclists globally with entry to top-quality attire and an impressed inventive neighborhood passionate a couple of life round bikes,” Cousins added. “We’re excited concerning the alternatives that lie forward and sit up for welcoming much more riders into the MAAP neighborhood as we develop our footprint worldwide.”
Whereas different manufacturers are on-line solely, MAAP’s advance into bodily area is an fascinating one, constructing one thing a bit completely different; it has the standard ambassadors and influencers, however Elliott mentioned additionally it is within the grassroots and neighborhood.
“When you’re working solely on-line, then you definately’re actually restricted in your skill to have interaction with the area people and the people which are respiratory life into the tradition of the game that, finally, you need to be part of contributing to,” he defined.
“The attractive 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 thought of a LaB is to really interact with the opposite companies and different members of the neighborhood which are 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 degree of shortage, however the firm is eager to develop to a degree to problem the massive beasts of European biking clothes, whereas retaining its ethos.
“Cool is an extremely subjective thought,” Elliot mentioned. “If we transfer away from the concept of cool for a second and take into consideration values. MAAP’s ambition and goal is all the time 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 carry 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. You must be actively listening, and asking questions on how we are able to add worth.”
“MAAP could be very concerned in desirous to develop the game of biking,” Elliot added. “Inviting individuals into it. If we will help someone 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 final word goal.”
By way of the LaBs, the neighborhood rides and different initiatives, MAAP goals to develop itself, in addition to biking, in Europe. Do not be shocked to see a number of extra individuals in Melbourne-designed jerseys this summer time.
