Adidas and Simone Rocha Announce Collaboration

- The collaboration was revealed during Simone Rocha's Fall/Winter 2026 show at London Fashion Week, where models wore items like track jackets with pearl zippers and sneakers laced with ribbons. This marks Rocha's first exploration of sportswear in her collections. - Simone Rocha is known for an aesthetic that blends feminine elements like pearls, ribbons, and lace with more structured or "masculine" silhouettes, creating a tension between hard and soft. Her work often plays with contrasts and contradictions. - This partnership is part of a larger trend of high-fashion and sportswear collaborations, which includes brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Wales Bonner for Adidas, and Jacquemus for Nike. The history of Adidas working with non-athlete collaborators dates back to the 1970s. - In addition to apparel like ruffled tracksuits and lace boilersuits, the collection includes footwear such as low-profile ballet sneakers and an Adidas Tokyo-style sneaker embellished with crystals. Rocha was also given creative license to redesign the Adidas Trefoil logo, encircling it with a ribbon. - Rocha has a history of successful high-profile collaborations that maintain her distinct design identity, including collections with H&M, Moncler, and Crocs, and she served as a guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier's Haute Couture collection. - Adidas's broader strategy focuses on strengthening brand credibility and expanding its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business, with collaborations serving as key "proof points" for the brand's cultural relevance. - The initial designs shown on the runway were inspired by a mix of Irish mythology, specifically the story of Tír na nÓg, and the realism of youth culture. The color palette included earthy tones like peat, turf, and khaki alongside Rocha's signature crimson. - The ongoing collaboration will span menswear, womenswear, accessories, and footwear, indicating a long-term partnership rather than a one-off capsule collection.