Jools Walker Brings Bike Fashion to New Heights
@LadyVelo
You may not know the name Jools Walker, but you may have read the Velo City Girl blog, followed @LadyVelo on Twitter, or lusted after a piece of Vulpine apparel. And behind—or in front of—all that is the London-based, 32-year-old operations manager at Vulpine, who rediscovered her love of cycling a few years ago ("getting back on a bike was a big deal," she says), and has made commuting fashion into a career. "Before Vulpine, I wasn't working in cycling, I wasn't working in fashion, and I wasn't very happy," Walker says. "Social media genuinely has changed my life."
The blog started as a journal. I never expected anyone to read it. It was an everyday lifestyle blog. The week I was going to get a bike, I decided to blog about it. The fashion lover in me was like, 'Combine the two and turn it into a blog about cycle style.'
I geared it toward women like me, who were cycling for pleasure. You don't have to be talented; you just have to enjoy being on the bike. There were already a few popular cycling blogs out there that inspired me, like Copenhagen Cycle Chic. I didn't start to compete with them.
It feels like an oversaturated market now. I worry that it's going to get lost as so many keep popping up.
Looking good on the bike is great, but being comfortable so you enjoy riding is important. You don't have to wear a flowing skirt to ride a Pashley, it's whatever you feel comfortable in. You want to feel good and ride.
The change in cycling clothing in the past few years has been massive. The variation and variety available now is amazing. It was an alien concept, having clothes that you could wear and ride in.
When Vulpine launched in real time on Twitter, it meant that the brand could engage with cyclists on a grassroots level, and it felt inclusive and fun. It got across our genuine enthusiasm for all things cycling: no faking it, just say it. There was, and still is, an irreverent and cheeky sense of humor to the brand, which is expressed in our social media.
One thing that drew me to Vulpine founder Nick Hussey was how transparent and open he is. Sharing with the public when something goes wrong isn't something that you see every day from most companies. It's brave to say "whoops" to everyone on social media. It's real, you know?
Jools Recommends
@vulpinecc: I was engaging with Vulpine before I was an employee because of Nick's enthusiasm for cycling.
@lovelybicycle: It's another one I enjoy, really fresh and approachable.
You Might Also Like
