New cycling wear brand, CIOVITA, was launched officially in Cape Town, South Africa on Thursday with the objective of becoming an international leader in the growing custom cycling wear market.
CIOVITA uses an advanced interactive website to allow clients to design their own riding gear, offering an extensive range of kit templates, colours and font options to cater for all pro team, corporate, club and school kit needs.
The CIOVITA business model also includes free in-house design, competitive pricing, no minimum order numbers and a rapid three-week turnaround, all selling points that are important in this competitive category.
But while those selling points are important, CIOVITA founder, Andrew Gold, says that the real defining factor for the company is that it’s purely focussed on cycling.
“We are not just another sportswear manufacturer, we are a cycling brand. We focus all our energy onto cycling, and aim to build a truly credible brand,” said Gold.
CIOVITA is a combination of the Latin word ‘cio’ (to move) and the Italian word ‘vita’ (life) and means ‘life in motion’, which summarises the brand’s ethos. The brand’s tagline is #inspiredtoride.
“The term ‘active lifestyle’ is used all the time these days. We relate to that as we have over 25 years experience in the sportswear industry. But consistent motion is more cycling specific and that’s where our product focus is – understanding cycling in all its forms and delivering product that’s not only functional but which also looks good,” added Gold.
CIOVITA has established its own production facility in Cape Town, where it controls every step of the process. It currently offers men’s jerseys, women’s jerseys, windjammers, shorts, bibshorts and some accessories.
“We have our own sublimation and production facility. Through our experience, we know that having full control of the entire process is the only way to really be able to achieve the highest standard in design as well as consistency in garment sizing and product quality,” said Gold.
While it’s based in South Africa, servicing the discerning local cycling industry, CIOVITA has a keen international market focus.
“We plan to take CIOVITA to international markets and expect to rival the best out there. We have placed enormous effort into the design and geometry of our apparel, taking nothing for granted. Our focus is on functional, durable cycling apparel that’s on par with, if not superior to, existing international brands,” said Gold.
Each CIOVITA garment is made with top-of-the-range fabrics, imported from the best sources, including flexible, breathable Italian fabrics and trims. CIOVITA uses sublimation to print designs onto the bike gear, a direct ink-to-gas process that doesn’t hinder inherent fabric properties. The quality print is washable and long lasting.
Although the official launch only took place on Thursday, CIOVITA has been operational for some months. Current corporate clients include GoPro, USN, Colnago and Cannondale; while professional racing teams Kargo Pro and Lights by Linea trust CIOVITA’s performance wear.
“My professional career has involved making technical apparel and I now get to mix my design skills with my love of cycling. This, combined with a fascination for traditional Italian design values and a yearning to drink good coffee whilst enjoying what I do, led to the business being born. The same desire is found in the two people who help me run CIOVITA. Karlien, who takes care of the design and production processes and Freddie, who heads up sales & marketing,” said Gold.
To see a range of CIOVITA’s offering, or to place your first order, visit www.ciovita.com