Back to JournalLost in Laos: Our Story
Date
Category
Travel
Reading Time
15 min
Inspired by a group of friends's journey across Asia, we reimagined protective apparel that could keep pace with life. From crossing rivers on bamboo rafts and navigating mountain passes to weaving through bustling city streets, our pursuit of new roads took us through every terrain imaginable.
Frustrated by bulky gear, uninspired designs, and a lack of transparency about protection, we embarked on a mission to create a collection tailored for people like us.
In 2020 we found ourselves riding Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh trail with 2x 110cc semi-automatic bikes from the 80s. Falling in love with Asia’s motorbike culture, roads, and unpredictability, it became our home. Over the next 5 years we’d take on trips across Indonesia, Thailand, India and other remote corners of the world. Although the riding got more challenging, the same equipment stuck with us.. dusty t-shirts and gloves.
On a remote road in Laos one of our bikes hit a patch of oil and sent it skidding across the road. Somewhere between being flung from the bike, and hitting the tarmac, there was a sudden realisation that we should, in fact, be wearing something more protective.
As we planned our next trip to Vietnam, we agreed to each arrive with something more protective. As soon as we arrived in Hanoi, it became distinctly clear that nobody knew what they had bought. Despite a mixture of price points, materials and designs ranging from plaid shirts and body armour hoodies, nobody felt like what they bought matched their style, or even kept them protected.
Now Might Be A Good time to wear some protection
That could be overkill?
Deciding to design a collection of motorbike protective wear just so your group of 5 riders have something to protect them might seem drastic, but that's what we did. We knew we wanted to be free to travel all over the world, to adapt from city streets to mountain passes without having to change in and out of leathers. We wanted something that could breathe in hot climates, and insulate in cold. Moreover, we wanted something that would reflect who we are, on and off the bike.
Taking cues from rugged workwear designs, we worked with experts, laboratories, and consultants all over the world to put together designs that were uncompromising. Our journey took us through the city streets of Lahore, testing on the hills of Azerbaijan, and through test labs in Italy and the UK, to prepare us to launch, the Silk Road Collection.
Today as we launch the brand, we’re planning our next trip around India - for more testing and development of new products, to help you stray further.
