adidas Originals and Grace Wales Bonner come together for one of the more culturally-rooted collections of the season. Their collaborative adidas x Wales Bonner collection reworks trademark adidas pieces like tracksuits, jackets, and Samba sneaker in Bonner’s signature styles.

The collection, launched during London Fashion Week 2020, takes inspiration from Bonner’s Caribbean roots to mold adidas’ more influential silhouettes. The adidas tracksuits bear the classic 3-stripes trademark, with newer details such as crocheted stripes and oversized ribbing. A yellow long-sleeved football jersey and multicolor knit roll neck serve as more nods to the designer’s heritage.

On the footwear end, Bonner also updates the classic SL72 silhouette with a corduroy upper matched with rich velvet and antique leather overlays atop a tricolor rubber outsole. She also enhances the Samba sneaker with crochet and hand-stitched details and updated laces and uppers. 

A large amount of Bonner’s ideas come from the influence of the 1970s and the diffusion of Jamaican music in British culture. Speaking on the collaboration Wales Bonner explains, “it was amazing to get into the archive with adidas, and really study how it has been interpreted by different cultures across times. I was interested in elevating the familiar, and bringing an evening wear and tailored sensibility to this essential collection.” 

The adidas Originals x Wales Bonner collection is now available for purchase. You can view the entire collection on their website.