adidas Originals x Liberty London: Behind the Scenes
Join Liberty’s Design Manager for a glimpse into how the iconic collaboration came to life.
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adidas Originals x Liberty London: Behind the Scenes
Join Liberty’s Design Manager for a glimpse into how the iconic collaboration came to life.
As the new season dawns, prepare to be captivated by Liberty London’s latest, instantly iconic collaboration. Introducing: adidas Originals x Liberty London: where urban roots meet floral dreams.
Albeit contrasting in style, Liberty and adidas alike have stood at the vanguard of our respective fields throughout history, pushing boundaries and breaking new ground: whether that’s through Liberty’s artisanal, tone-setting approach to design through the decades, or adidas’ cutting-edge sporting technology.
With almost 225 years of combined design heritage, it’s little surprise that Liberty and adidas have amassed their fair share of icons through the years, and now, for the first time, we’re bringing two worlds together in the adidas Originals x Liberty London collection.
With icons of street style drawn from the adidas Originals archive, and archival prints reworked exclusively by Liberty’s in-house design team in London, this unique collaboration tells a shared story of innovation and craftsmanship, that is both distinctly contemporary and nostalgically referential. Featuring womenswear and kidswear styles across iconic adidas Originals shapes including Gazelle, Stan Smith, Campus and Samba.
To discover more about the inspirations, innovations and creative processes that brought this collection to life, Liberty’s Design Manager for Licensing and partnerships, bespoke projects and luxury accounts, Pere Bruach, gave us a glimpse behind the scenes.
Can you tell us about what you do, and what your role was in this collaboration?
I am the Design Manager at Liberty, working across licensing and partnerships, bespoke projects and luxury accounts. For this collaboration, my team worked closely with the adidas Originals team all the way from research to concept, design and development, every detail from this collaboration has been carefully considered, making for a collection that celebrates both adidas and Liberty’s rich heritage.
What was your starting point when you began thinking about the collection?
adidas and Liberty’s extensive archives allowed us to look back into vintage pieces and prints – so we could take inspiration from decades of exquisite, innovative and avant-garde design on both sides of the partnership.
We were keen to celebrate some of our most iconic designs, especially as this year marks Liberty’s 150th anniversary, pairing those together with some of the key colours, pieces and styles from adidas Originals.
We took a trip to visit their team at the adidas campus in Herzogenaurach, Germany, which was so inspiring. They have a museum on site holding an archive of shoes, apparel, balls and accessories dating back almost 100 years.
Which prints are featured in the collaboration?
The collection draws inspiration from carefully curated, quintessentially Liberty designs, and is a vibrant celebration of print and colour. We worked with modern hues to breathe new life into iconic patterns creating a saturated pop aesthetic that we feel is both contemporary and timeless.
We reimagined some of our cherished designs from the archive, including the intricate ‘Margaret Day’, which is inspired by the colours of summer perennials. This print was reimagined for adidas, transforming the colour balance and scale so the the pattern springs to life stylised florals.
Another print we used was ‘Manuela Meadow’, which has a playful, swinging sixties charm and vibrant, dazzling flowers. As a contemporary interpretation of a British cottage garden, it features an array of botanicals and evokes Liberty’s iconic retro prints of the 1960s.
Lastly, for the kid’s collection we looked at ‘Garden Jazz’, which is a tribute to the roaring twenties. Hand-painted in the Liberty studio using gouache paint, the design was reinterpreted in a brand new, saturated pop aesthetic.
Can you talk us through some of the key pieces in the collection?
On footwear, adidas’ iconic Stan Smiths and Gazelle Bold trainers got a creative Liberty makeover with the ‘Manuela Meadow’ design, and their shared rich history is designed to inspire a sense of sporty nostalgia.
Within the kids’ and women’s collection, the classic adidas Stan Smith shoes are also given a Liberty spin, with two colour ways of ‘Garden Jazz’ for kids and ‘Margaret Day’ on the women’s style. With their combination of a classic shoe style and Liberty’s heritage prints, this makes them a fitting celebration of craftsmanship.
As well as the footwear, there are several styles in the womenswear collection that have a real fresh energy - a key piece is the Liberty London Pleated Skirt: a statement pleated skirt adorned with colourful 1960s florals.
Did you face any challenges along the way?
We have joined forces to present our debut capsule collection for women and children. Both teams have been excited from day one to be part of this partnership which has made the process of it a joy to work on. We had extensive material and possibilities and the biggest challenge has been to curate a collection that pays tribute to both Iconic brands and embodies creativity, innovation, craftsmanship and self-expression, celebrating the brands legacy.
How did you go combine Liberty’s florals with sportswear/athleisure?
Cultural collaborations are an important part of Liberty, inspiring curation and directional design. Both adidas and Liberty are brands that shape and define creative culture, and combining the two created a wonderful synergy. The nostalgia of our Liberty prints and the adidas Originals styles were wrapped together with a 1960s retro pop colour palette, and that allowed us to bring both worlds together.
What was different about working on sportswear compared to your typical collections?
Particularly in the bespoke design team, we often work on collaborations with luxury brands, designing in London and printing in Italy on our own fabrics. The difference on this project, and the most exciting part of working with adidas in this collection, was the ambition in their use of technology to translate our designs on to new, innovative materials suitable for sportswear and footwear.
What’s your favourite piece or detail in the collection?
The attention to detail on each and every piece is extraordinary. I enjoy the element of surprise when you open the box of the adidas Originals x Liberty London Gazelles, unwrapping them from within beautifully printed Liberty paper to unveil an iconic pair of trainers that are both beautiful and timeless.
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