At an inopportune moment, Nike and Adidas launch their highly anticipated high fashion collaborations next month, with Jacquemus and Gucci respectively, marking a new chapter in the well-known rivalry between sportswear giants.
Also in the ring is Ellesse, who this month released an Emily Ratajkowski collaboration with Michael Kors; New Balance with cult fashion brand Aries, which launched in March; and Fila, whose partnership with London-based Serbian designer Roksanda Ilinčić is expected in August.
Emily Ratajkowski in the Ellesse collaboration with Michael Kors. Photography: supplied
Previously, the battlefield for sports brands was around trainer launches and sports star endorsement deals, but as Julie Pont, creative director of French fashion information agency Heuritech, said, it was proving difficult for brands guarantee the exclusivity of the players.
“For example, [the Argentine football player Lionel] Messi is personally sponsored by Adidas, but his team, Paris Saint-Germain, is sponsored by Nike. So maybe the new opportunity is to get out of this game and start a new competition in a different field.”
While sportswear partnerships are nothing new (Nike previously partnered with Louis Vuitton, Balmain and Comme des Garçons, and Adidas with Stella McCartney, Raf Simons and Yohji Yamamoto), this feels different, Pont said. “These fashion brands are far removed from the sportswear industry: when you think of Jacquemus; it’s the south of France, it’s fashion shows in a field; It’s not related to sports.”
A statement from Roksanda described her upcoming collaboration with Fila, which features billowing gowns and quilt coats, as “a meeting of two very different identities to create a new one, both unexpected and authentic.”
The logic behind these partnerships is to increase fashion for sports brands, while facilitating fashion entry points for younger customers.
It is unlikely that you will be doing much sports in these clothes. “You’re not going to go running in the [£900] Adidas X Gucci tank top,” said Emily Gordon-Smith, fashion lead at trend intelligence agency Stylus. “The pieces are practical, but they are not always designed for the activity. There is a strong streetwear vibe.
“During the pandemic, sports brands focused on performance and comfort,” he added. “Now feels like the time to inject some couture appeal into these comfortable, everyday pieces.”
Last week, the Adidas X Gucci collection, which arrives on June 7, made headlines when social media users in China complained that its £1,300 “sun umbrella” wasn’t waterproof.
And who would dare break a sweat in the Nike X Jacquemus Pearl White Cycling Shorts (released June 28 as part of a 15-piece collection)?
Adidas x Gucci Gazelle trainers are predicted to be ‘remarkable pieces of hypebeast’. Photography: Fabio Pianigiani/Supplied
The collaborations make for some “remarkable hypebeast pieces,” he adds, predicting that accessories — for example, the Gucci bucket hat and Gazelle sneakers, Roksanda moon boots and ’80s-style barrel bag, Jacquemus X Nike sneakers Humara, they will be sold. get out first
While most people won’t be lining up for these collaborations, their presence is expected to influence the fashion landscape and elevate the athleisure aesthetic (a market expected to grow at a rate of 8.9% per year, reaching 662.56 billion dollars in 2030). ).
“It’s sportswear that harkens back to the roots of the 1920s,” said Pont, “with everyday clothes that keep you stylish and comfortable. The boundaries between fashion and sportswear will be harder to distinguish.”
Gordon-Smith predicts that this new wave of collaborations will have a significant impact on the high street. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see elevated sporty looks in stores like Zara in June.”
Source: www.theguardian.com