Parisian designer, Jerome Coste, creates custom versions of Ruby classics – Pavillion & Castel - for the annual Surf & Cycle Festival in Biarritz.

What began as Coste’s curiosity about the contraptions that lessened the damage of his six biking concussions, quickly became a world famous luxury brand of vintage-style helmets. Combining his daring escapades and Fresh fashion influences, Les Ateliers Ruby now boasts a range of designs, including the most recent recreations for the 2014 Wheels & Waves Festival. Ruby collaborated with the festival’s graphic designer, Steven Burke, to customize their classic Pavillion & Castel designs.

Wheels & Waves is all about “ride culture” – think less “bodacious babes” or “waxing boards”, and more… braving the killer surf of the Basque coast or thundering bikes throughout the surrounding landscape. Builders, manufacturers, designers & racers alike, ranging from amateur to professional, flock from around the world to the festival. Only in its third year, Wheels & Waves has already firmly established itself as a key destination, offering a range of activities from uphill races and fierce competitions to live music and art exhibitions.

And now for the helmets. The brand are already famous for the craft, elegance and beauty of their designs – but these helmets are no ornaments. Surpassing all expectation for strength and endurance, not only do they look incredible, but they are highly protective, practical and comfortable to wear. Carefully constructed from carbon fiber, they are surprisingly lightweight, disguising modern safety features with their classic vintage appearance. These limited edition pieces sport black leather interiors with a bold matching trim, giving them an extra edge to compliment Burke’s graphics.

Whether you’re cruising along the sunny Basque seaside or leading a herd of roaring engines through a mountainous thicket, there’s a Ruby to protect you from incoming branches, a lack of consciousness, or worse - the fashion police.

Photography courtesy of Ruby