Poland-based bag maker Dyed in the Wool just announced the winner of their Art Series contest, which will eventually end up on a limited run of bags. Learn more here…

This fall, Dyed in the Wool (DITW) announced their Art Series contest, for which they asked artists, designers, and anyone with a cool idea to submit artwork that would be turned into a custom-printed bikepacking bag set. The winning submission would win a complete set of bags, plus the artwork would be used a limited collection of bags, signed and numbered, on their web shop, alongside a series of promotions featuring the artist.

DITW just picked the winning submission from Molly Lofton, a cyclist and graphic designer based out of California. The design was inspired by classic renaissance paintings, Kehinde Wiley, and a newfound obsession with barbed wire. Check out the final design below and then scroll down for a bio from Molly. Stay tuned for details on the limited edition bag set.

DITW art series
  • DITW art series
  • DITW art series

About the winner

I’m Molly Lofton, and I ride bikes and design graphics out of Santa Barbara, California. I run a cycling sock and apparel business called Bummerland; this was something I created after working in design in the cycling industry and wanted to make my own design choices and decisions to share with my friends. I focus heavily on self-irony, silliness, and a general sense of not taking oneself too terribly seriously. 

This graphic was inspired by the baroque florals found in classic Renaissance paintings, the work of Kehinde Wiley (check out his work, he painted Obama’s presidential portrait and is amazing), combined with my latest obsession with fencing material (barbed wire). Looking at things that are pretty but spiky. Not to get too art school with it, but I like to compare these ideas to riding your bike: you’ve gotta get through the challenges presented by difficult climbs, long hours, and lack of motivation to receive the beauty of riding your bike: beautiful vistas, improved mental health, and adventure. These are all things I was thinking about when cobbling together this design. The florals were sourced from the Biodiversity Heritage Library’s archive, an open source resource for high-res botanical illustrations. 

We’ll be sure to share the news when the bags featuring Molly’s artwork become available.

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