The Client
The Women’s Motorcycle Contingent organizes the ‘Dykes on Bikes’ contingent in the San Francisco LGBTQIA Pride Parade. The group starts off the Parade each year with whoops, hollers, leather, lace, and a roar of engines.
The Challenge
As a longtime motorcycle lover, I was flattered when the WMC approached me about designing T-shirts, two years in a row, for them to sell as fundraisers and keepsakes. The target: a celebration of the love the women have for the open road and their bikes, and for each other.
The Solution
Merchandise Artwork
The WMC wanted a black T-shirt, naturally, so I used white ink for the design. I came up with the ‘Fast Women, Beautiful Bikes’ and ‘Hug the Curves’ headlines. I decided to use the black background as negative space, with the white ink for the ‘glow’ silhouetting the leaning motorcycle rider and the reclining woman. Click here for closer views of ‘Fast Women’ and ‘Hug the Curves’.
The shirts were enthusiastically received, and were the only two T-shirts in the history of the WMC to make a substantial net profit. ‘Fast Women’ sold out two printings; the popular shirt was reprinted a few years later and again made a profit. ‘Hug the Curves’ sold out its first printing.
‘Fast Women’ apparel, stickers and other products are available here. ‘Hug the Curves’ apparel, stickers and other products are available here. Shop all designs here.
Promotional Flyers
I also created brightly colored flyers advertising the Pride Parade “Dykes on Bikes” ride, to get riders registered early. The headlines read: “Fast Women, Beautiful Bikes,” “Be the Only Part of the Parade That Anyone Actually Watches” and “Become Your Parents’ Worst Nightmare.” These are recreations, with dummy type, as the original flyers are long gone.
