Alpinestars Relaunches the Oscar Line

Admit it: throwing on your motorcycle jacket makes you feel cool, doesn’t it? The act of riding may make you feel independent, but the gear we decide to wear is a reflection of the image we want to portray. Alpinestars gets it. With a hand in nearly all motorsports disciplines, when you wear an Alpinestars piece of gear, you can’t help but feel a little sporty. But for the riders out there who’d rather eschew the racer image for something more fashionable – while still providing protection – the Oscar line of motorcycle apparel is the ticket.

What you might not know about the Oscar name is that it dates back to 1972, when Alpinestars founder Sante Mazzarolo (father of current company chief, Gabrielle) was urged by a sales rep to submit an entry to a prestigious fashion competition from the Fashion Academy in Turin, Italy. At the time, Alpinestars made motocross boots, but Mr. Mazzarolo decided to enter the boot anyway. It won. And it won again the following year. To celebrate the victories, Alpinestars released a new line of boots, replacing its original Alpine Star (flower) logo with a spiral design.

Fast forward to today and the rising popularity of vintage-themed riding apparel with modern day protection. This posed the perfect opportunity to resurrect the Oscar by Alpinestars brand name “as a statement of culture and style,” says Alpinestars. According to A-Stars, the current Oscar by Alpinestars line will exist “as a fusion of classic styles and silhouettes, punctuated by technical features and modern processes.”

The modern interpretation of the Oscar line isn’t new, but at a recent party held at Arch Motorcycles, Alpinestars finally gave it a life of its own, by launching a new Instagram account dedicated solely to the Oscar by Alpinestars line. Holding the event at Arch Motorcycles wasn’t a coincidence, as Keanu Reeves produced and stars in a new video for the Oscar line featuring both the Oscar line of gear, the Arch motorcycles that bear his initials, and Reeve’s business partner Gard Hollinger. You can see the video below.

Along with the new Instagram page, Alpinestars also launched a new hashtag – #NiceBikeAlpinestars – to allow riders to share stories of themselves and their bikes. Think of it as a virtual hub for riders for all types to gather around and unite over the common bond of motorcycling. According to Heath Cofran of Alpinestars, the company is even going so far as to work with artists “to create murals for us to send riders to and take photos of them and their bikes in front of the mural utilizing the hashtag and giving them a platform and imagery to tell their stories.”

Lastly, you know Alpinestars makes all sorts of protective riding apparel, but did you know Alpinestars is also in the fashion industry? It’s true; Alpinestars has grown the presence of its fashion line over the years, to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish the difference between its riding apparel and its fashion line. Littered throughout the Arch showroom were samples of new items from the Spring 2017 men’s clothing collection to promote www.alpinestarsman.com, and to my untrained eye, I couldn’t tell the difference until I touched each piece and looked for armor.

To learn more about Oscar by Alpinestars, visit www.oscarbyalpinestars.com.