Rapha names Robert Lee as its Chief Creative Officer

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
September 6, 2023

Cycling clothing brand Rapha has named Robert Lee as its Chief Creative Officer, effective immediately. The experienced product and brand leader has spent over two decades in the athletic industry. 

He began his career at Reebok, before joining Adidas in 2008, where he “led the brand expression for the Adidas brand and product design for business units [including] training, athletics, sportswear and basketball”. 

In his new Rapha role, he’ll “lead the product and brand creative teams” and will also be responsible for “contributing to the brand strategy, dreaming up a new future for Rapha and the sport of cycling”.

CEO Francois Convercey said the company is “truly excited to have Rob join us… Creativity and design have been central to the Rapha brand since its inception, and Rob will bring his passion for product, culture, and his own rider’s perspective to help us continue to inspire the world to live life by bike. We are ambitious about Rapha’s future, and Rob will undoubtedly guide our teams towards a new and very exciting chapter”.

Lee himself also added that “as an active cyclist and endurance racer I will be able to apply my experience of working with athletes and leading product and brand expression for some of the biggest brands”.

The company continues to target cycling aficionados but also to reach out beyond them with key collabs. 

For instance, in July, it linked with Shrimps on a female-focused capsule described as “experimental but wearable, high-performance but casual”. The companies said the “collection bridges the gap between fashion and cycling”.

And in the spring, Paul Smith and Rapha founder Simon Mottram’s long friendship led to a new clothing and accessories collection for men and women. 

The special edition riding collection “celebrated cycling and its ability to bring people together”. It featured a range of riding accessories and both an RCC (Rapha Cycling Club) exclusive jersey in club colours, as well as a black version sporting the signature Paul Smith stripes.