Following on from the first drop, the Adidas Consortium ‘Your Story’ series continues to collaborate with an eclectic mix of artists and designers to bring you five freshly reworked versions of some of Adidas’ most celebrated styles.
As like Drop 1, the second part of the series takes its main influence from A/W ’11 ‘Tabula Rasa’ series with five prominent creatives – again, all of which are from Olympic host cities – developing the ‘blank slate’ of five classic trainers into a games-inspired pack. Utilising the same premium approach as the Tabula Rasa collection with careful consideration given to the choice of materials and finishes, each style combining an intrinsic eye for detail with the designer’s own memories from Olympic Games gone by.
Similarly this drop reworks the same five profiles as drop one. London-based photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis lends memories of her childhood swimteam to a bold interpretation of the ZX500, utlising perforated suede pool blue uppers accented with a dip-dyed lace set inspired by lane dividers at her local pool. In contrast, Swedish sock-aficionado Viktor Tell drew inspiration from an unlikely source in the form a Swedish Air Rifle champion, references to which are scattered throughout his reworking of the simple Matchplay. As with his brand Happy Socks, Tell’s use of eye-catching patterns and colour adorn the trainer, with a pair of his trademark socks and a gregarious set of laces packed away with the shoes.
Dutch illustrator Stefan Glerum reworks what appears to be a very subdued version of the Decade Hi, with a colourway inspired by the Amsterdam city flag. However, the trainer has Glerum’s stamp all over it with hidden away illustrations showcasing the spirit of the Olympic Games as well his undeniable sense of humour with what appears to be a fuller-figured woman attempting to Pole Vault on the sole. Subdued however, is a word that would be lost on Londoner Kara Messina. Her version of the Pro Shell is possibly the most bold and daring out of the whole collection. Melding together her eye for men’s streetwear – something her label Y’OH is famed for – with her inspiration from Grime, Hip Hop and African culture, the design represents the multi-cultural presence in both the Olympics and everyday London life. The shoe is defined by a authentic tribal print across the uppers with a strong detailing throughout.
The last trainer from the collection is Adidas’ own reworking of the classic BC profile. Designed to represent their involvement in the last 20 Olympic Games, its takes it’s inspiration from the original Olympia with a simple white and black colourway adorning the ‘Baltic Cup’ trainer. The iconic Olympic rings are featured on the lace tips but what makes this trainer unique is the 20 different sock liners, with each pair assigned two random liners that showcase key performance sectors from each Olympic year.
The Adidas Consortium ‘Your Story’ Drop 2 is available from Saturday June 16th, 2012. To register your interest, please email us.