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The Rise of Luxury
and Streetwear Collabs
April 25, 2022
Luxury brands. What comes to mind when you think of them? The price, probably. Lavish lifestyles, maybe. To us at least, the immediate association has never been everyday sportswear brands. And yet, we’re seeing more and more commonplace brands like Adidas and Nike drop releases with branding from Gucci , Prada, and Dior on them. Read on to find out why
At first, their connection seems to start and end at being fashion brands. However, they share a key similarity; both thrive off of exclusivity in some way: luxury brands in terms of cost and quality, footwear brands in terms of scarcity.
With the athleisure market predicted to be valued at 231.7 billion USD by 2024, it’s no surprise that luxury brands are taking this opportunity to reach a wider audience, and it’s also no surprise that footwear companies are using this as leverage to target elite consumers. Let’s take a look at some examples of these collaborations.
PRADA X ADIDAS FORUM LOW
In this pair, Prada’s Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons added their own classy input on the 1984 Adidas Forum silhouette. Immediately, the most intriguing change is the addition of the nylon zip pouch bearing the silver Prada logo on it. With a utilitarian spin, this edition of the Adidas Forum Low comes in black and white, and also has both hi and low top renditions.
Miu Miu x New Balance 574
Miu Miu has historically kept its products within the line of dainty, 90s to early 2000s themed fashion. So this collaboration with New Balance seems to be their first taste of the world of sneakers. The two brands reach a happy compromise with this release, combining Miu Miu’s retro flair and New Balance’s strict no-nonsense designs with this pair that dons a frayed suede upper. This collaboration comes in a variety of colours, and has been a sought after pair thus far.
Gucci x Addias ‘Gazelle’ for F/W ‘22
This release sees Adidas taking a backseat with regard to design and Gucci dominating the visuals on this pair. The luxury brand’s imprint can be found prevalently throughout the shoe, as it forms the leather base on the low top pair. Its branding is also found on the rubber sole, which provides a pragmatism to the deluxe pair.