Jimbo Phillips vs Bell helmets

Tom and I were talking yesterday about the dire need for a bit of tongue-in-cheek trendiness in mountain biking fashion. Then bosh! What pops into the inbox this morning but just that from the boys at Madison.

Bell helmets have enlisted Californian graphic designer Jimbo Phillips who has been making skateboarding cool for like, ever to deface some of the head gear. And the result is: actually pretty good. That's a quote. From me. But here's a better one from Bell creative Director Eli Atkins: “Jimbo has worked closely with the Bell graphics team for years for years. It’s all been so well received, we worked with Jimbo to do a proper collection for this year.”



The Jimbo Phillips 2010 Collection includes two graphics on the new Sequence helmet, two on the Variant, two on the Faction skate-style lid and one on the Drop full face helmet. Included in the collection are a pair of coordinated graphics—one on the Faction and one on the Drop—that actually create a scene when viewed together.



“Generally, people are drawn to Jimbo’s work,” said Atkins. “But skeletons choking each other might be a little too in-your-face for some, so we had Jimbo do a few of illustrations in a little more abstract and subtle way. On the whole I think there’s something for everyone.”

Including peops who like a bit of funk on their mountain.