Winner of the 2016 LMVH Young Designer award, 28-year-old Grace Wales Bonner and adidas Originals has finally released its Autumn/Winter 2020 collaboration, and it’s everything we expected it would be. First teased back in January at London Fashion Week, the new collection is partially inspired by Bob Marley, alongside the 1970s and dancehall – themes which frequently inspire Wales Bonner pieces.
The new collection seeks to transform sportswear classics into Afro-Caribbean luxury through “hybrid tracksuits, nostalgic trainers, and relaxed tailored styles”. In terms of footwear, Bonner has taken to the popular Adidas Samba silhouette alongside the lesser-known SL72, reworking them with a colour palette of burgundy, brown, and green alongside materials like raw cotton, corduroy, and satin. Apparel in the collection takes the form of long-sleeved football jerseys, heavy track tops, and graphic tees.
“It was amazing to get into the archive with Adidas and really study how it has been interpreted by different cultures across times,” Bonner revealed. “I was interested in elevating the familiar and bringing an evening wear and tailored sensibility to this essential collection.”
#AdidasOriginalsbyWalesBonner launches on Wales Bonner and Adidas today.
