Creative Destruction: adidas by kolor Spring/Summer 2018

Launching this Thursday online at Coggles, the new Spring/Summer 2018 adidas by kolor collection offers brave athletic apparel for modern men who dare to wear. Intended for sport-style on the field or the court, the collection reflects the fearless vision and authentic street inspiration of its designer, Mr. Junichi Abe. Each season Abe pushes the limits of shape, fabric, texture, and—of course—colour to create sportswear for men who love making a statement when they work out. Mr. Abe’s vision comes to life via adidas breakthroughs like Boost, Climachill, Climalite, and Primeknit Wool. The result is boundary-breaking apparel and footwear designed for hardcore performance.

For SS18, the adidas by kolor collection explores deconstruction. Training and running essentials arrive with one-of-a-kind imperfect details and a handcrafted effect. Abe defies the concept of a “perfectly” tailored and produced sportswear garment, instead opting for uneven topstitching, asymmetrical elements, and seemingly hand-applied design details.

Key pieces like the DECON Wind Jacket exemplify this experimentation as free-cut taffeta and open mesh panels are “randomly” patchworked atop a stretch ripstop fabric. The Fabric Mix Wind Jacket, meanwhile, combines three distinct materials to comprise its arms (double-face spacer mesh), front body (micro ripstop), and back body (nylon taffeta). The iconic Coated Anorak is made of a single-layer polyurethane “satin” and perforated with the words “adidas” and “kolor” on its front and back. The Climachill Tee reinvents a wardrobe staple with applications of brightly colored, layered taping that gather the fabric in a striking fashion. Statement shorts are key to the collection, arriving in a multitude of styles coordinated to the season’s stories. Color is naturally crucial. Here, Abe contrasts acid hues of tangerine, violet, and seafoam with sober tones of olive, gray, and black.

Footwear and accessories get a dose of deconstruction, too. The collection’s defining shoe is the Alpha Bounce, rendered new with wild textures of patchworked neoprene and mesh. The shoe’s right and left designs are asymmetric, making for a subtle playfulness. The coordinated OPS Backpack and Tote bring the same sense of creativity and color, offering roomy, utility-focused accessories for work or play.