Finally some relatable athletes.
After a summer spent watching the Olympic Games’ medalists breaking records while we mere mortals were left reconsidering gym memberships, Stockholm-based Avavav decided to stage a show poking fun at the current obsession for all things sporty.
Known for its irreverent runway concepts with viral appeal, the indie brand lined up guests on the sideline of Milan’s “Forza and Coraggio” running track to view an attempt to break the world record in short distance running, as a host announced before the show. Only the audience witnessed the most unimpressive race ever, with each model giving up on the mission in her own, offbeat way.
Some became exhausted immediately, others had a slow or shaky pace; one was too busy on her phone to care, while another kept stumbling as she was losing her shoe. There were a couple that stopped to take a brief rest and even a model spitting midway as the effort was too much to handle. All the fuss was entertaining but not new for the brand, given that similar gimmicks are part of its runway history and the main reason for which it is known.
Yet this time the concept was particularly fitting since Avavav revealed its collaboration with Adidas Originals. As a result, classic Adidas archival pieces were reworked to mingle with creative director Beate Karlsson’s Goth streetwear, here hinging on distressed hoodies, baggy wide-leg denim pants and cutout tailored pieces.
The sports brand’s signature track jacket was either revisited in tiny, second-skin volumes and cropped proportions or extended in a dress with fluid panels. A loose suit and an oversized puffer jacket also carried the three-stripe logo, along with caps bearing shoelace fringing.
Karlsson playfully recreated some clothes via body paint, too, and focused on accessories with quirky sculptural bags or covering Adidas’ Superstar sneakers with a shell toe in the four-finger shape that is a signature of her brand.
“Oftentimes we like to see irony in the fashion industry and now we’re trying to [do that] in the sports industry, which is also very serious and has a lot of rules,” said Karlsson about the one-year-in-the-making collaboration, which will be available starting mid-November.