SHELF APPEAL: BMX
by Y-3

'BMX boys have a lot of fun' the song in the advert assured us. And it is certainly a recollection from my own youth-when BMX mania in the UK was at its zenith- that the early 1980s craze typified the kind of fun enjoyed by boys. Slapstick toilet humour of the Jack-ass variety, scrappily-produced fanzines, thrash rock by bands with puerile names like 'The Stupids', an entire lexicon of misspelt boy-words like 'rad' or 'yah-dude', and bruises and scabs galore; these were the gloriously messy trappings of the BMX bike of yore. It's not so much that the bikes have changed since those dirty days, but that their owners have matured. Would you, for instance, still stick your cheap, graffiti-inspired stickers all over this pristine, limited edition BMX by Y-3?

This bike is a highly successful collaboration between the Bicycle-Moto-Cross riders who started the German company devoted to the manufacture and ideology of BMX, 'wethepeople', and Y-3-itself a collaboration between Japanese design visionary Yohji Yamamoto and the global sportswear brand Adidas. The partnership is a political masterstroke: by working with people so passionate about the 'philosophy' of BMX culture, Y-3 avoids any accusations of compromising construction for fashion from bike fanatics. wethepeople's excellent selection of design features cleverly allows any retro features to occur at the level of construction, rather than the styling. The much-loved Skyway 'tuff' wheels-first produced in 1974-provide that sweet, nostalgic moment of recognition for those that remember them, whilst their vivid orange plastic asserts the modernity of the colour palette. Meanwhile the must-have of the 80s-the pad wrapped around the crossbar-and the strengthened seat bear the classic Adidas three-stripe logo. The bold, Swiss, sans type of the Y-3 logo (circling delightfully round the front chain wheel, like a spinning-top) is so in-keeping with the treatment of the stripes that neither brand dominates: a brilliant metaphor, were one required, of Y-3's burgeoning success as a brand in its own right.

It is not merely the fact that only fifty of these beauties are being manufactured that will prevent the kind of rough treatment consistent with messy BMX boy culture of the 80s. The €2,250 price tag indicates that the bike is not really marketed at boys, but the men they become and at the cool, sophisticated design tastes some of them develop. Importantly, it is also aimed at the girls who identify with the elegant design sensibilities brought by Yohji Yamamoto's characteristic aesthetic restraint. Momentarily, it may sadden us to realise we are being sold cleaned-up nostalgia for thirty-somethings, but then, what's not fun about that?

Text by Penny Martin

Shelf Appeal archive
15.12.04: Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
20.10.04: Blouse Bag by Ann-Sofie Back
30.09.04: Contact Lenses by Christian Dior
07.09.04: BMX by Y-3
25.08.04: Helmet by Stephen Jones for GIBO by Julie Verhoeven
05.08.04: Suitcase by Bottega Veneta
21.07.04: Sequinned Knickers by Alexander McQueen
08.07.04: Tennis Court Pump by Chanel
18.06.04: Parasol by Eley Kishimoto
14.05.04: Toolkit by Prada
07.05.04: Feather Headband by Miu Miu
26.04.04: Measuring Tape Belt by Tatty Devine
08.04.04: Easter Bunny Biscuits by Fortnum & Mason
31.03.04: Teapot by Vivienne Westwood for Coalport
24.03.04: Hair Brush by BLESS
12.03.04: Canderel Dispenser by Lagerfeld Gallery
04.03.04: Volleyball by Y-3
26.02.04: Bracelet by YSL
16.02.04: Lace Mask by Lanvin
04.02.04: Necklace by Marni
26.01.04: Straw Hat by Yohji Yamamoto
16.01.04: Edo Bells by Martin Margiela
19.12.03: Shimmering Stilettos by Viktor & Rolf

With thanks to Jane Audas