For years, Harley-Davidson’s clothing and apparel have been immensely popular, even amongst individuals who don’t own, ride, or have any interest in motorcycles whatsoever — not unlike those that wear Thrasher Magazine or Slayer t-shirts without having ever owned a single skateboard or metal album. Standing as a symbol of freedom, rebellion, and classic Americana, the American cruiser brand is now leaning into the fashion world’s proclivity for its apparel, with the Milwaukee MoCo announcing the debut of three all-new forthcoming premium lifestyle apparel lines.
Known as H-D Collections, this new endeavor represents part of Harley’s larger effort to grow the company, diversify its revenue streams, and tap into a new, younger demographic. The first of three clothing lines has been dubbed Bar & Shield by Harley-Davidson. Touted as an “elevated lifestyle product line,” Bar & Shield by Harley-Davidson will feature high-end construction and craftsmanship. Heading up the line is H-D’s new Creative Director of Apparel Design Louise Goldin — an award-winning New York-based British designer that played a pivotal rule in developing Kanye’s YEEZY brand. The second of the three collections, the Harley-Davidson Originals range takes a similarly high-end approach, albeit this time utilizing designs that draw inspiration from Harley’s rich and lengthy history.
The last of the three lines in the H-D Collections family is known as Harley-Davidson Authorized Vintage. As the name suggests, these items consist of genuine, rare retro H-D apparel items that have been certified by historians at Harley and are sold with certificates of authenticity. The Black & Orange’s expansion into the clothing arena will also include a myriad of collaborations with other eminent brands — such as Harley-Davidson’s recent collaborative collections with Todd Snyder and NEIGHBORHOOD. And, while Harley has made it clear that at least some if not all of these new clothing lines will be of the premium variety, the company has yet to reveal any info on pricing. With that said, rumors are swirling that some of the t-shirts in the H-D Collections range will be priced at close to $100 — suggesting that H-D Collections will be taking things in a more top-shelf, designer-esque direction for the American motorcycle marque.
The first items in the Bar & Shield by Harley-Davidson, Harley-Davidson Originals, and Harley-Davidson Authorized Vintage lifestyle apparel lines are slated for a release on March 9th and will be available via the new HDCollections website.
