The design team is one of the driving forces behind Gobik and also one of the areas that has grown the most in recent years. Iván Ibáñez is one of the designers who is part of that process: turning ideas into garments that perform in their environment.
Detail as a starting point
I have always been more inclined to observe than to speak. I notice details almost without realizing it: how things fit together, how they are built, how something works without needing to explain it. I studied graphic design in Valencia, and there design stopped being something I simply liked and became a way of understanding what surrounds me. I like sport, but also those calm moments when you can organize your thoughts and come back with a different perspective.
Giving shape to the invisible
At Gobik, I am part of the design team. Our work begins where everything is still just an idea: we design the graphics of the garments, develop the pattern making, and fine-tune colors and finishes until everything fits.
But it is not just about aesthetics. A garment has to perform when it goes out onto the road. That is where design stops being visual and becomes real.
Inspiration beyond the radar
Inspiration almost never appears where you are looking for it. It often comes from places that have nothing to do with cycling: architecture, fashion, a photograph, a color combination. The challenge lies in translating all of that into a garment that works on the bike.
The process begins with a very open idea and gradually takes shape: testing, changes, back and forth. It passes through many hands within the team until everything aligns. When you see the garment out on the road, it has already gone through a long process of invisible adjustments. Those are the ones that truly make the difference.
A large part of my inspiration comes from outside: fashion, graphic design, poster design. Everything that builds visual language from simplicity. In the end, it all adds up, even if it has no direct connection to the bike, you just have to be willing to see beyond.
When an idea evolves
I especially enjoy projects that start with something very basic and end up becoming something much bigger. That journey—from the simple to the complete—is what interests me most. Above all, when the final result is understood and appreciated.
I am drawn to simple things, but well made: clean colors, subtle details, solutions that do not need to call attention to themselves in order to work.
Understanding Gobik from the inside
Gobik has always been close. Growing up in Yecla means living alongside the brand, even if it was not something I had set as a goal. Joining was, in part, by chance. But once you are inside, you understand why: everything has an intention. It is not just aesthetics nor just technique. It is a balance between both, where neither side carries more weight than the other.
Quick questions
Which Gobik garment would you be?
A CX, because it seems simple, but there is more behind it than it appears.
Where do you find inspiration when you are not working?
Anywhere, but usually when I am not looking for it.
What music is playing in your studio or in your headphones?
A bit of everything, honestly. I don’t have a fixed style; I go a lot by phases and by whatever I feel like that day.
Series or movies?
Movies, without a doubt. I like stories to come to a close.
Wine or beer?
Beer, always.
Tour, Giro or Vuelta?
Vuelta.
