Adidas X Gucci: When Sportswear Meets Luxury

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It’s the collaboration everyone is talking about: Adidas X Gucci. Let’s take a look at the most bankable capsule of the moment.

From the front row of the Gucci House fashion show at Milan Fashion Week, we witnessed the unveiling of a truly amazing capsule: the luxury brand Gucci partnering with sportswear company Adidas Originals. What should we remember from this partnership? We’ll tell you all about this special collaboration.

When luxury meets sportswear

During its Fall-Winter 2022-2023 show, entitled “Exquisite Gucci,” the Italian brand revealed a series of fashion pieces co-designed with the iconic three-stripe brand during Fashion Week. Alessandro Michele, the artistic director of Gucci, once again disrupted the codes by reinventing sportswear, as he did with “The Hacker Project,” the Gucci x Balenciaga collection.

For this collaboration, each brand was invited to appropriate the heritage and creative codes of the other. At the foot of the runway, we witness not a reinterpretation of the classic sportswear wardrobe, but a fusion of two styles: classic sportswear associated with luxury elegance. Moreover, for this special capsule, everything is in the details, like the logo that combines the iconic cloverleaf with the Gucci name. This signature can be found on mittens, suit jackets, and even stamped on the heels of a boot.

But the standout piece is surely the double-breasted striped tuxedo. Available in cream, green, blue, or purple, it perfectly embodies the spirit of this collaboration: an exquisite blend of elegance and 80s inspiration.

To sport the signature silhouette of these two brands, you’ll have to wait a little longer. The “Exquisite” collection will be released in the coming months in Gucci stores, and some pieces may be available on Adidas Confirmed, the access to the brand’s premium collections.

Towards the luxuryfication of sportswear brands?

In recent years, we have been witnessing a growing trend: the luxuryfication of sportswear brands. From this fusion, new types of collaborations emerge, such as the Dior X Air Jordan 1 collaboration in 2020.

These seemingly opposite universes surprisingly provide material for stylists and artistic directors. Designers play with this antagonism to create an increasingly unique aesthetic blend.

The image projected by these collaborations, limited editions, or innovations in the sportswear industry reinforces “desirability among the younger generation.” And it’s good news because according to consulting firm McKinsey, sportswear sales declined by 7.7% in 2020, while global clothing sales plummeted by 19%. This successful strategy could give a new boost to the labels.