Ciele’s Latest KM Capsule is Ready for the World Stage

What You Need To Know

Ciele’s back, back again

I don’t know about you, but we love a collaboration. There’s just something special about two minds coming together to create something completely fresh and new. It’s even better when that collaboration is a brand we love teaming up with one of its long-time athletes to honor their journey. That’s exactly what we got with Ciele’s new KM Capsule — a three-piece race day collection inspired by Kim Hyacinthe.

Now, you might not know the name Kim Hyacinthe, but her story is worth sharing — especially when it comes to how Ciele is involved. Hyacinthe, a Canadian sprinter, has been a believer in Montreal-based Ciele just about since the beginning. She partnered up with the brand in the midst of lowering Canada’s national 4x100m relay record not once but twice in the 2015 season, qualifying her country for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the process.

Hyacinthe didn’t get to race in those Olympic Games, but she’s remained close with Ciele ever since, sticking together for the long run and finally getting her chance to collaborate on an apparel capsule that’s ready for racing. As far as apparel collections go, this one is short and sweet, so let’s get into it.

Up first, the most race-ready piece of the KM Capsule: A cropped singlet. After all, it’s easy to go fast when you’re wearing the lightest base layer you can find, and that’s pretty much how Ciele designed the RDCRPSinglet. The half-length top is made with Ciele’s COOLmatic EXP carbon-infused fabric, which gives it advanced wicking properties and breathability that rivals some of Ciele’s most comfortable caps.

Oh, and when we say it’s light, we mean it — size small (women-only, sorry, fellas) weighs just 60 g, which is only about 2 oz. At that rate, you definitely can’t complain that your race outfit slowed you down. On top of that, Ciele’s RDCRPSinglet has a red and orange front that looks like the most dangerous part of a weather map, which is a pretty sweet combination to see fly past you on the track. The back and shoulders are a deeper green color that runs throughout the collection, making the orange details pop just that much more.

Next, I should probably admit that I’ve never considered racing in a bucket hat, but if it’s good enough for a world-class sprinter, I could probably give it a try. That’s the idea behind the Ciele BCHat, which has long been one of Hyacinthe’s favorite pieces. This time, though, it’s built for weight reduction, pairing laser-cut holes and flat-welded seams to stay as light as possible. It features the same colorful pattern under the brim, apparently called QALE, but the outside of the BCHat is all black, making for a sweet, well-disguised look.

Like the singlet, the BCHat uses Ciele’s COOLmatic fabric around its headband, keeping sweat off your brow without adding weight to the overall build. Oh, and get this — the hat is only about 15 g lighter than the singlet above. Just keep in mind that this piece from the KM Capsule isn’t one-size-fits-all, you’ll have to choose between S/M and L/XL when you order.

And finally, a Ciele hat that you could probably race in. Not that you couldn’t race in a bucket, but a visor just feels that much faster — maybe it’s because you’ll feel the wind blow through your hair. Anyway, the RPDVisor follows many of the same rules as the bucket hat and singlet: It’s extra light, so you can go extra fast. You get the same black and QALE color combination that I’ve been hyping up for the last few minutes, and Ciele’s COOLmatic fabric should pull the sweat right off your noggin. This time, though, the RPDVisor has an adjustable toggle in the back that makes it a bit more adjustable than its bucket counterpart. It only comes in a single 56.5cm size, though, so it could be tough for the larger-headed among us.