Last weekend my reluctant husband and I took part in the much anticipated Tweed Run, hosted by Ralph Lauren’s diffusion store; Rugby.

The Tweed Run is a 12-mile bike ride through the city of London, which has cultivated a following of dedicated fashionistas and cycling enthusiasts around the globe. Founded in 2009, the event has generated huge momentum in New York and Florence, and is now it is making its debut in London.

Ralph Lauren has been clever in using the Tweed Run is a fun brand marketing initiative aimed at promoting their new Rugby store in Covent Garden. Rugby is aimed at a younger audience and represents an eclectic mix of traditional tweed and heritage looks, fused with a cool, slightly preppy streetwise twist. Rugby is ultimately a lifestyle brand selling everything from clothing and accessories, fashion jewellery and even their bespoke Pashley bicycle!

It was the perfect crisp, sunny winter’s day. As we all congregated outside the Rugby store I had time to check out the competition. The cool kids and fashion pack were out in force, including the uber cool blogger Bip Ling dressed in a funky tweed/check combo, some of the Made in Chelsea cast, and model Erin O’Conner looking amazingly chic in her plus fours.

There were some incredibly inventive old school bikes, with one willing cyclist providing mobile entertainment for the duration with a home-made 30’s style ghetto blaster attached to the back of his bike, powered by a car battery, blasting golden oldies. There were dapper chaps dressed in full shooting attire complete with plus-fours and dashing dames in vintage flowing dresses and matching bicycles.

We travelled en masse through Covent Garden and weaved our way around Trafalgar Square, down the Mall and through Chelsea, causing traffic jams and mayhem in our wake. Tourists looked on in bemusement and took pictures as we sashayed amongst London’s monuments and heritage hot-spots.

The London debut of the Tweed Run was in my eyes a huge success and lots of fun. It was a brilliant introduction to the Rugby brand; everyone embraced the spirit and looked fabulously dapper in the process!

Related links
www.tweedrun.com
www.rugby.com