The week that was in style: Aug 20-26

ZHANG YI XING A.K.A. LAY IS CONVERSE’S NEWEST COLLABORATOR
August 20 | Seoul, South Korea

Zhang Yi Xing, member of K-pop group EXO, is the latest addition to Converse’s roster of collaborators. Lay, as his fans call him, made the One Star his first project piece, upgrading the materials and colorways of the iconic sneakers.

Expect more from Lay as this is just the first of many projects he has with Converse.

 

VIRGIL ABLOH AND NIKE ANNOUNCE THEIR “THE TEN” COLLABORATION DESIGN PROJECT
August 23

We all know Nike, but if the name Virgil Abloh elicits a “Who?” from you, he’s the founder and creative director of streetwear fashion label Off-White. The two recently announced their partnership for Nike’s newest design project The TEN, which will feature 10 of its most iconic shoe models, reimagined to further stretch the possibilities in footwear design and performance.

It’s not new territory to Abloh, 36, who used to mail sketches of his shoe ideas to Nike when he was still a teenager in Illinois. “We were enamored with Air Jordans,” he says in a statement. “Michael Jordan was larger than life—he was Superman to me. My entire design background and ethos came from the ’90s.”

The 10 shoe models that he got his hands on for The TEN are the classic Air Jordan (obviously), the Air Max 90, the Air max 97, the Blazer, the Hyperdunk, the Air Force 1, the Air VaporMax, the Air Presto, the Zoom VaporFly, and the iconic Chuck Taylor All-Stars, which is produced by the Nike-owned Converse.

The TEN is divided into two themes: the first five, which are based on Nike’s most iconic models, fall under Revealing: hand-cut, open-source, reconstructed, totally accessible. Text placements of “AIR” on the lateral side of some of the shoes and of “SHOELACES” on the shoe strings are sly visual gags.

The latter five, meanwhile, fall under Ghosting with their translucent uppers and the use of common materials. – September Grace Mahino

The first five icons of The Ten—the Air Jordan I, Nike Blazer, Nike Air Presto, Nike Air Max 90 and Nike Air VaporMax—will be pre-released at NikeLab stores in New York City (September 9-13), London (September 18-22), Milan (September 21-25), and Paris (Sept. 26-30).

 

ADIDAS ORIGINALS EQT’S NEW COLLECTION HITS STORES
August 24 | Metro Manila, Philippines

adidas Originals launched its new EQT collection, which emphasizes a strong foundation and fewer unnecessary details. The new edition of the EQT Support 93/17 model features a knit textile upper, contrast mesh, and tailored embroidery details. Meanwhile, the EQT Support RF model has a ’90s aesthetic, featuring mesh construction, sued panels, and welded overlay details.

For apparel, adidas Originals EQT takes on a more traditional route, with the EQT Green shade replaced with blue and the three-stripe graphic print incorporated into the design. It’s classic sportswear that’s been given the update through paneling and silhouettes.

Image from adidas Originals

The EQT Support 93/17 and EQT Support RF  are available in adidas stores,  with prices from Php5,995 to Php8,495. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for the apparel though, as the collection will drop on September 1. Pieces will retail between P1,495 to P4,795.