Inspired by the tags and throw-ups of mid-90s American graffiti artists, renowned graffiti artist WANTO developed his instantly-recognisable spiky ‘W’ tag. The WANTO style has also increasingly played its own part in Japan’s fabled streetwear culture, culminating in a three-way collaboration last year between the artist, adidas Originals and United Arrows & Sons. Together, they captured WANTO’s urban canvases, hand-painted style and covert roots across a range of apparel pieces.
For SS19, adidas Originals once again joins forces with WANTO, on a pared-back range of premium sportswear pieces. The starting point for the collaboration came from WANTO’s desire to create the ideal outfit for wearing while working on his art. The resulting complementary pieces are built around a blacked-out matching track top and track pants, both of which feature minimal, bright yellow accenting across the outer layers and a bright yellow lining with graffiti motif created specifically for these pieces. The track top also features three stripes on each arm made from reflective material for increased, though still relatively under-the-radar, visibility during nocturnal activities.
A white, short-sleeved t-shirt with hand-drawn WANTO illustration rounds out the apparel offering, while a singularly-WANTO take on the adidas Yung-1 lifestyle shoe carries the collection aesthetic into the footwear arena. With a blacked-out sole and largely blacked-out uppers, the chunky, functionality-focused aesthetic of the shoe recalls the same golden nineties era from which WANTO’s style was born, while the flashes of bright yellow across the uppers, insole and tongue catch the eye almost as much as WANTO’s tagging does.
adidas Originals x WANTO SS19 will be available for purchase starting today, May 30.
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