Runaway Bicycle is an Indian brand founded 2014, creating modest yet elegant garments that are rooted in traditional weaving techniques with thoughtful craftsmanship. Each design speaks to a quiet approach to living and dressing, with pieces intended to be loved, worn and handed down to the next generation.
New to MamaOwl for SS26, Runaway Bicycle works with natural materials, effortless silhouettes, and a deep respect for artistry. We spoke with founder Preeti Verma about the founding of the brand, design inspiration, and working life.
We’re so excited to welcome Runaway Bicycle to MamaOwl for SS26 and to begin working together. We’d love to hear more about the beginnings of the brand and the concept behind it.
After working in advertising for more than a decade, I wanted to explore other opportunities in art and design. Fashion had always been an area of interest for me through my initial years in advertising. Right time, a little confidence and some encouraging friends led to the launch of Runaway Bicycle. We chose the name Runaway Bicycle because it came from a habit I had as a child, of running away with a Bicycle I had been told to stay away from by my brother.
How has Runaway Bicycle evolved since you first launched the brand in 2014? Has your approach or vision changed over time?
Initially it was all a fluid plan. The first two years were quite free-wheeling because it was phase where it still wasn’t a business but just a weekend project and I was investing a whole lot of time in and wanted to do over and over again without the pressures of a business that had bills and salaries to pay. Only the initial successes catalysed what was a fun project into a proper business and in 2016 I quit my advertising job to start my own studio. Now Runaway Bicycle has grown into a full business model. A team of around 45 people in-house working in different departments along with working with over 100 artisans across the country.
What are the unique design elements that characterise your brand and your collections?
What drives us every day, is to make simple clothes very well. Clothes that will last, not just the ravages of time but also those of passing trends and fashions. In fashion terms, I don’t think we make anything which will ever stand out distinctly but it is in the quality of the fabrics we use, the attention we pay to every stitch and detail that we hope makes us distinct. For example, our attitude to pockets, where our garments come with functional pockets as deep and spacious as those in garments for men.
Could share the values Runaway Bicycle upholds in the production process, particularly within the context of using natural and eco-friendly materials?
There’s a lot of thought put into what we do, right from the weavers we work with, or say our fabrics and dyes. There are no middle men involved. Working directly with weavers or through NGO’s ensures that our makers themselves are benefitting from their work. All the fabrics we use are created on a handloom; something deeply rooted and innate to our country’s rich textile culture. We go back to regions where such art and materials have originated and work with the artisans directly, which perhaps gives them more incentive to keep their art going in today’s machine dominated age. We’ve also used natural dyes this time around, further working on our sustainable model. The rawness and feel of handlooms are something that really can’t be recreated with new age machines.
It is incredible that all your woven textiles are designed and crafted by your artisans and materials are not bought in bulk through a supplier. What led you to this decision and how does it influence the design and production of your garments?
We really love textiles especially creating it from the start. At Runaway Bicycle, everything begins with the textile design. Buying available textiles and creating garments from it wouldn't satisfy us. Natural fabrics are inherently more comfortable and our entire design philosophy revolves around providing a sense of comfort. So, it made sense for us to create our own fabrics so that we can choose our own fibres. Working with traditional techniques means working with traditional craftsmen and artisans. This interaction provides a great deal of learning and understanding of the fibres we work with. We start our design process with the fabric first, and the fabrics eventually design the final garment in a way.
The quality of your materials and detailing is quite exceptional. It is clear that a lot of skill goes into each piece. Could you break down the steps and skills involved in making one of our SS26 styles? For example, the Silk/Cotton Poppy Stringed Dress.
We always travel to our weaving clusters when we develop the textile. We usually spend a few days with them to dye the yarn, get the colours right and do a little sampling on the loom. For this particular fabric we had to go through 2 rounds of sampling. In the first round due to our warp and weft the checks looked more like stripes so we had to change the yarn and do the sampling all over again which, to be honest is quite a tedious process and setting up a loom takes quite a lot of time. But in the end, it was worth it.
Could you tell us a little about the artisans and craftspeople behind Runaway Bicycle? How many people do you work with, and where across India are they based?
We work with our independent artisans throughout the year. When we started, they only worked on specific orders but since we have grown, they now provide us a certain number of looms which are used specifically to create textiles for Runaway Bicycle, throughout the year. Currently we have 100 Looms blocked for us and they are busy throughout the year. These artisans are based in Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujrat and Himachal Pradesh.
Do these different areas have their own unique traditions, in terms of embroidery or weaving?
Yes of course. Every region excels in different crafts. It’s amazing when you make same fabric in every state, the outcome is so different. We head to Rajasthan for printing, Bengal for linen, cotton and silk. While our weavers in Himalayas make an amazing quality of Merino wool.
Runaway Bicycle styles are full of rich detailing. Combining easy to wear silhouettes with incredible textiles. Who do you see as your main customer and how do you see your garments being used and worn?
It’s not so much an age group or a particular person as a mind-set that prioritises comfort over everything else. Someone who puts comfort first before fashion and also believes that feeling good is much more important than just looking good.
Could you share a little about your studio and working environment?
We have a factory and studio space which are around 40 minutes from each other. Our studio is where our design team sits and our operation and manufacturing team spend their time in the factory. Some days we are just trying to tackle the challenges that come along with being a smaller brand and then in between all the chaos, we end up making something beautiful.
What do you hope for the future of Runaway Bicycle?
We are not looking at growing too big as we are in a good position at the moment. We are busy, but things are manageable and that suits us well. We are so lucky to have people who have been with us since the start and still continue to work with us.
Runaway Bicycle creates clothing made to be lived in for years to come. Each piece reflects a considered way of living with a focus on comfort and craft. We are really pleased to welcome the brand to MamaOwl this season and look forward to sharing their clothing with our community for many seasons to come.
