MAAP, the Melbourne-based cycling apparel brand, is now available for purchase, in-store and online through a click and collect service, at Harrods – ‘the world’s leading luxury department store’.
With a past history of supporting road cycling, the Knightsbridge, UK-based, high-end retailer provided title sponsorship of the Harrods Racing Team in the late 90s. This team boasted a roster including former National Champion turned commentator Matt Stephens, retired pro Justin Clarke and ex Raleigh-Banana sprinter Chris Lillywhite.
Harrods also previously partnered with Rock Racing, a USA professional outfit founded by fashion entrepreneur Michael Ball, during the team’s first visit to the UK to race in the 2008 Tour of Britain, hosting an in-store launch event and Q&A with riders Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero and Óscar Sevilla.
Once again returning to the sport of cycling, Harrods and MAAP have teamed up to create a new menswear boutique. This enables visitors to shop a wide selection of the Australian brand’s road cycling apparel.
MAAP commissioned leading London-based retail design consultants Brinkworth to design a bespoke ‘shop in shop’ retail experience to translate the brand into the iconic London destination.
A Brinkworth spokesperson said “This fast-track project with MAAP was made possible through our East-London workshop, Brinkworks. We were able to immediately realise the visual renders in 3D through the workshop and focus our energy on collaborative decision-making that made the journey with MAAP so rewarding.
“Working closely with the client, we decided on a crisp industrial feel, using materials including perforated sheet, galvanised panels, plywood, and standard steel sections. We added strong colours taken from the MAAP palette to counterbalance the neutrality of plywood and galvanised panel for the metalwork.’
Jarrad Smith, MAAP Co-Founder, said “When Ollie (Oliver Cousins, MAAP Co-Founder) and I first started MAAP in 2014, like any business, we set some future goals and having our brand in Harrods was one of them.
“To see that finally come to life is a really proud moment for us. We’ve also partnered with Brinkworth on the design, which was a no-brainer. Not only are they well-known for creating a retail space, they were able to help us translate our hometown feel into this area, to create an immersive brand experience.”
The new MAAP boutique is now open in the Sports and Outdoor room at Harrods.
