Discover The New Drop From Adidas Originals x Wales Bonner
The latest collaboration between adidas Originals and British brand Wales Bonner is a celebration of identity, inspired by the island of Jamaica
Wales Bonner’s ongoing partnership with adidas Originals is a match that continues to top the fashion league. Thinking of it in football terms, it evokes that perfect pairing between coach and team – a union that goes from strength to strength with each game, or, in this case, each collection. The first collection was unveiled in 2019, and with each season since, British-Jamaican designer Grace Wales Bonner has thoughtfully reinterpreted adidas Originals’ iconic sporting pieces with aesthetic flair and cultural meaning; past releases have paid homage to dancehall music and the Caribbean diaspora.
For spring/summer ’23, adidas Originals x Wales Bonner looks to Jamaica, taking reference from the colors of its flag to its traditional crafts, including crochet. More than just a sports-infused collection, it is a celebration and expression of identity, channeling and championing the island’s spirit and heritage through pieces that seamlessly elevate the everyday – think boxy track jackets crafted from superfine knits, flared pants that riff on Bob Marley’s signature style, and long-sleeved football jerseys in retro terrycloth textures.
Such a contemplative approach to design is something that Grace Wales Bonner has become known for. A star on the menswear scene ever since she established her namesake label in London in 2014, her academic meditations on everything from masculinity to inclusivity and multiculturalism lend her sartorial creations a particular poetic resonance. She won the LVMH Fashion Prize in 2016, and has collected a shelf full of accolades in the years since, including a Fashion Award, awarded by the British Fashion Council, for best independent brand.
“With each subsequent collection, her work has challenged the notion of luxury and interrogated the meaning of clothing
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Via Wales Bonner’s distinct lens, fashion becomes a platform – a speaker with which to amplify the voices, crafts and cultures of the African diaspora. Her first menswear collection saw her utilize cowry shells – an ancient form of African currency – as buttons. With each subsequent collection, her work has challenged the notion of luxury and interrogated the meaning of clothing. This year, aligned with her SS23 collection for adidas Orignals, Wales Bonner has designed the football kit for the Jamaican team – thus elevating the on-pitch performancewear into pieces of considered design.
Inclusivity is at the core of Wales Bonner’s creations. Even prior to launching her women’s collection, she had an army of female fans, from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to Bella Hadid, Rihanna and Dakota Johnson. And for SS23, the adidas Originals x Wales Bonner offers plenty of wardrobe winners for the modern woman – there are pieces to elevate off-duty casuals elegantly yet effortlessly.
“The SS23 adidas Originals x Wales Bonner collection is the epitome of considered casualwear
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The classic three-stripe tracksuit is rendered in a fresh minty green, while the co-ord is reinvented with a zip-up jacket and shorts set rendered in metallic silver – it’s as ideal worn to the bar or strolls down a beach boardwalk as it is for a run. Tailored sporty separates include tartan tracksuits that would smarten up any airport look, to the Marley-esque flares, which look as sleek paired with the retro-infused ‘Samba’ sneakers from this collection as they would with a pair of chunky boots.
Grandad-style knits are an ideal spring layer when worn over crisp shirting or understated white T-shirts, while boxy tops in bright block hues are the ultimate throw-on-and-go pieces – these statement-makers, replete with the adidas trefoil logo, will dress up a pair of jeans or shorts with ease.
The SS23 adidas Originals x Wales Bonner collection is the epitome of considered casualwear – each piece is a worthy contender for wardrobe hero if ever there was one.