Overview
I developed a new visual direction for The Cycling House, translating their request for a classic, minimal, and colorful aesthetic into a complete cycling apparel collection from first concepts through production.
The challenge
The Cycling House requested two complementary design directions inspired by the desert: one featuring desert tones and another inspired by a desert sunset.
They wanted to incorporate mountains into the graphic in a way that felt simple, subtle, and timeless rather than overly detailed or literal.
The main challenge was developing the right soft, warm, and slightly desaturated color palette while working exclusively within Eliel Apparel's production-approved color system.
The solution
I created the mountain graphics in Adobe Illustrator, using simple layered shapes to achieve the understated look the team requested.
To build the color palette, I worked within Eliel's calibrated production swatches and adjusted their ink percentages to create softer, warmer, and more desaturated variations without introducing unapproved colors.
Once the palette was established, I assigned a specific color treatment to each graphic layer until the final compositions achieved the intended desert and sunset feel.
The approved design was then developed across the full kit including bibs, vests, jackets, caps, and baselayers before moving into production.
Design system
- Color
- Eliel Apparel's calibrated production swatches, adjusted through ink percentages to create a soft, warm palette.
- Graphics
- Minimal layered mountain illustrations developed in Adobe Illustrator.
- Branding
- The Cycling House logo as the primary brand element, with Eliel branding integrated into the front chest.
- Applications
- A consistent graphic system adapted across the complete apparel collection.
Production
After the collection was approved, I built the production artwork across sizes XXS–XXXL, strategically scaling and positioning graphics according to how each garment panel changed between sizes.
Elements such as chest logos were kept consistent across all sizes, while larger graphics were expanded selectively to maintain the intended composition.
Once all sizes were completed, the artwork was nested in Optitex for print production and delivered to the sewing team.
Impact
100+Orders
The collection continued to perform after its initial launch, with over 100 orders placed since 2024, making the design a lasting favorite among The Cycling House community.
The program also became one of Eliel's strongest-performing team accounts, demonstrating the commercial impact of the design beyond its initial launch.
The Finished Kit
Regroup Women's Cycling