LONDON — British cycling lifestyle brand Rapha appointed Jodie Harrison as its chief brand officer.
In a newly created role, Harrison will report to chief executive officer Fran Millar, who joined Rapha last September from Belstaff, where she held the same title.
“Rapha was built on originality and courage, which Harrison brings to everything she does. I’m delighted she will lead the focus on inspiring new and future fans in this next chapter for the brand,” Millar said.
A colleague of Millar at Belstaff, where Harrison served as chief brand officer until last December, she was first brought into Rapha as a brand consultant in January. Before Belstaff, Harrison worked as chief membership officer at Soho House, and in various senior roles at Moda Operandi, Anthropologie and Mr Porter.
Harrison is now tasked with overseeing the end-to-end recalibration of Rapha’s brand position with the leadership team.
“At 21 years young, Rapha has already achieved an enviable and established heritage. It’s a brand’s brand — recognized globally and genuinely loved — so shepherding it into a new era comes with great responsibility,” said Harrison, who, alongside Millar, helped Belstaff modernize its narrative and position as the brand celebrated its centenary last year.
“No other brand has defined and redefined cycling like Rapha, transforming the way the world sees the sport. Rapha made cycling relevant, evocative and alluring,” Harrison added.
Founded by Simon Mottram in 2004, Rapha has grown to become a leading cycling lifestyle brand with performance wear ranges designed by an in-house team, and high-profile collaborations with brands including Paul Smith, Palace, Patta and Outdoor Voices.
Rapha is community-driven, too. It organizes around 4,000 rides for its 16,000 Rapha Cycling Club members around the world, and promotes cycling culture through café spaces and events throughout the year.
