As the popularity of motorcycles and scooters spreads to well-to-do city-dwellers, there’s been an increase in urban “motorcycle boutiques” (Vespa and Harley each sport a flashy upscale retail location in Chicago) where the machines are a distant afterthought to a line of expensive clothing and accessories. Deus Ex Machina in Camperdown, Australia has taken this trend a step farther by selling a variety of late-model “retro” bikes and dirtbikes in a similar environment. They’ve even produced several custom “Deus” motorcycles and host a gallery with rotating motorcycle exhibits. While Vespa and Harley’s “shoppes” seem like a cheap cash-in, Deus comes off as a more personal, heartfelt venture, though that might just be the utterly amazing graphic design talking. Unlike Vespa’s ho-hum (or plagarized-and-settled-out-of-court) t-shirt designs, Deus’ shirts almost seem worth $50.
2 thoughts on “Deus Ex Machina”
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That rocks. I’m in seeming agreement with their mission for sure. Though I can’t help but different that belief is for people that have money. Grass roots boutique style? That TW is so f-ing rad.
Yeah, that place is hardly “grassroots,” and you know they spent some major coin getting it all together, but even if they are spoiled rich kids (and they may not be) marketing trash culture to other rich kids, they’re doing something productive and original and creative rather than snorting their parents’ money. Big props.