Kanye West, we’re going to let you finish, but we have a feeling Alexander Wang is about to have one of the best Adidas collaborations of all time. Rumor has it the athleticwear giant has tapped the sporty, streetwear conscious designer for its latest collaboration, though neither Adidas’ nor Wang’s spokespeople will confirm.
If WWD’s sources are accurate (and they usually are) full details of the project will be available to the public after Wang’s upcoming New York Fashion Week show (slated for 9 p.m. on September 10). A party to commemorate both the collaboration and the designer’s Spring 2017 collection will purportedly follow the runway show.
If the reports prove true, Wang will be joining the ranks of fashion greats like Stella McCartney, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto and Kanye West, whose ongoing partnerships with Adidas have played a significant role in putting the brand back on the fashion world’s map.
That said, as of 2015, Nike still owned a staggering 48 percent of the U.S. footwear market, Adidas a mere 9 percent. While the sportswear manufacturer certainly has a long way to go if it wants to compete with Nike, this collaboration with Wang, along with the expansion of its Yeezy line and its continual reissuing of timeless classics, bodes very well for the brand.
After all, if the altheisure trend proves anything, it’s that, when it comes to workout gear, consumers are just as concerned with appearance as they are with performance. We don’t need Olympic-level technology so long as our kit bears the craftsmanship of our fashion idols.
Do you see Stan Smiths or Sambas?; Image: Imaxtree
To top it off, Wang’s and Adidas’ aesthetics are totally aligned — the designer’s Spring 2016 showing even included sneakers that were somewhere between ready-to-wear Stan Smiths and Sambas (above). There’s no foreseeable limit to what the two can accomplish if they combine their creative powers. If you ask us, September 10 can’t come soon enough.
