Racing Americana & Japanese Excellence Unite — Team Ikuzawa 100Percent® Collection

Founded by motorsports icon and Japanese MTB pioneer, Tetsu  Ikuzawa, Team Ikuzawa embodies a fusion of racing heritage and artistic innovation. 

Now, Mai Ikuzawa, his daughter carries the legacy forward as a creative force and Team Ikuzawa, has become a modern cultural brand merging Japanese racing heritage with contemporary aesthetics through high profile collaborations across art, fashion, and luxury, earning credibility both on and off the track.

“[Team Ikuzawa] has always had a unique style and it’s the direction I’ve always wanted to go with the sport— It's cool to bring Japanese racing legacy and their minimalist design into mountain bike." — Hugo Frixtalon 

“My grandfather was a successful artist, and my father a successful race car driver and mountain bike pioneer in Japan,” states Team Ikuzawa creative director Mai, “So our creative DNA is really strong.”

Tetsu Ikuzawa: “My passion for wheels started very early: 1945. The first time I encountered a machine (left). My first bike (right).”

Tetsu Ikuzawa: “My dad on my first ‘real bike’ and good friend Ryu-chan from the neighborhood (left). I started modifying [that bike] right away.”

Tetsu Ikuzawa: “This photo was the moment that determined the course of my life. You could say that this starting line was the starting line that determined the course of my life.”

Transitioning from motorcycle to auto racing. July 27, 1968: Silverstone (left). Tetsu Ikuzawa became the first Japanese ever to win the Martini International Trophy (right).

Born in 1942 to celebrated Japanese artist Rou Ikuzawa, Tetsu Ikuzawa made his mark in motor racing, fashion, and design—propelled by a rebellious streak and an outsized sense of style.

Tetsu Ikuzawa: “Around 1996, I became obsessed with mountain biking. I designed and built our own bike—the Ikuzawa TD-1/TD-2 (left)—and developed a rear shock in collaboration with Kayaba. Our team won Japanese MTB Downhill Championships titles in all series (right). My hobby grew into helping with the Honda RN-01 development—and given the opportunity to test ride it.”

Tetsu Ikuzawa: “My daughter, Mai, said, ‘I had no choice. No dolls, just throttle control!’ when it came to the racing influence in her life.”

Today, Mai is the mother to teenagers MTB riders and has aligned Team Ikuzawa with 100Percent® to create a limited edition collection of downhill/enduro jerseys and pants.

“[We]'ve created this 100Percent collaboration because my children are really into mountain biking,” says Mai. “The legacy—representing this culture and heritage—is really important.”

WATCH THE LIMITED EDITION COLLABORATION VIDEO

READ THE INTERVIEW:

100Percent: You’ve described Team Ikuzawa as a storytelling platform for your father’s legacy—how has your father’s passion for performance and design influenced your own creative direction in life?

Mai Ikuzawa: Part of our DNA—the style and the presence—has been quite unique with an alignment of artistic input and fashion. 

100Percent: Team Ikuzawa blends Japanese design with Western values—what design elements or inspirations did you bring to the limited-edition 100Percent glove and goggle collection?

Mai Ikuzawa: The language of our brand is really strong. Although we're very minimal in terms of our branding, our strong sense of presence has been part of the success of the brand.

100Percent: Many journalists and media outlets around the world have tried to explain their perception of Team Ikuzawa—with keywords like pioneer, performance-oriented, influential, stylish and passion-driven—but how would you describe your family’s legacy?

Mai Ikuzawa: My father, and even my grandfather, created something intriguing with our name ‘Ikuzawa’ and so it's my responsibility to tell our family history through compelling narrative by creating remarkable products through true intention, curiosity and distinctive design vision.

100Percent: Now your family legacy is continuing with your child—what is important to you to pass along to your child and the next generation of riders and racers?

Mai Ikuzawa: Family legacy that my grandfather and my father have created is so important and that my children will one day be inspired to take over. Maybe it’s a very Japanese cultural mindset.

My responsibility has been to bring my expertise, which as a creative director bridging the refined contemporary aesthetic of fashion, art, architecture and luxury into motorsports and action sports. Connecting with your audience with the heart by bold storytelling and remarkable products.

“With this 100Percent collaboration, our goal is to celebrate our untold mountain bike championship wins to our contemporary fans through bold storytelling and uncompromising creativity. To keep the collaboration truly authentic we invited one of the sport’s most iconic riders, Frix Frix, to represent us this season.”— Mai Ikuzawa