London wunderkind Mary Katrantzou has revealed her second capsule collection for adidas Originals. Whereas her first collection for the sportswear giant presented blown-up trainer details in neon hues printed on track tops, vest dresses and miniskirts, this second offering is somewhat neater and more preppy, with lots of retro athletics references.
Katrantzou’s trademark symmetrical digital printing technique is used to multiply sports equipment in patterns across tennis dresses, collared varsity jackets, jogging bottoms and T-shirts. Tennis rackets spiral out in a fan, while boxing gloves, bowling pins, weights and rugby balls multiply to kaleidoscopic effect. Sneakers come in retro colorways and are covered in neat line-drawings of boxers and gymnasts, and sliders are decorated with mirror-image divers.
Katrantzou says, “Our spring/summer collection for adidas is a nod to 80s sportswear. The characters and motifs are abstract collages in electric colors of everything sports related and a nod to the symbolist motifs from our mainline fall/winter 14 collection. The shoes this season are more closely connected to their apparel counterparts, offering the bolder of our customers the chance to wear a print from head to toe. It’s definitely a collection designed to have fun in.”