Aprés by CK Bradley: Totally Tubular

As Newporters are watching  Snowmageddon ’11 unleash its fury, I have fashion on the brain, specifically, Aprés by CK Bradley. Locals know Bradley best for her Bellevue Avenue boutique that boasted preppy, über-feminine designs, but this new venture is a complete departure—goodbye, grosgrain; hello, spandex!

I chatted with Bradley early this snowy morning, who revealed her inspiration for the line. “I have been chomping at the bit to spend a ski season in a ski town, and well, was accosted by some photographers last year wearing a vintage ski suit,” she says. “And well, the rest is history.”

The preppy princess-turned-mountain mama has hit the road with stops at ski slopes east to west touting her 70s-inspired ski bunny ensembles which include bibs, jackets and vests, plus fashionable accessories like ski beanies and t-shirts. Bradley isn’t messing around either–these are performance-driven pieces with an unexplainable sex appeal. The outerwear is well-insulated with an exterior made from nylon ripstop, a light-weight but durable fabric with inter-woven ripstop reinforcement threads, the same textile often used for sails and spinnakers, and detailed with spandex panels to hug the body and promise a custom fit. Pieces are sold separately, so fashion forward ski bunnies can mix and match colors or sport one uniform look. As with her other designs, Bradley has affectionately dubbed each piece, ergo the Hot Dog Bibs (and matching Hot Dog jackets), the Ski Boogie jackets and Mogul Masher vests (jackets $350, bibs $400, vests $210).

Currently Bradley is hawking the line from a shiny silver Aprés Airstream that is part showroom, part office and part bunk,  at the base of ski slopes on a nationwide tour. “I’m not sure I know how to do thing the conventional way,” she quipped. “I wanted a way to bring my dog and needed a mobile store … so I sell, sleep, eat and play all in the same silver bullet.”

Bradley says reaction from the road has been extraordinary, with customers ranging from serious skiers to Aspen’s out-and-about social set, where she’s currently organizing a fashion show (followed by another in Telluride). Aprés is also outfitting Powder Magazine’s women for equipment testing this year, as well as sponsoring a female competitor on the US Freestyle team and at the Janss Cup in Sun Valley in April. Laughs Bradley, “So many mountains to hit, so little time!”

To see more, visit the Aprés by CK Bradley Facebook page by clicking here or email sales@apresck.com to place an order.