At CLOT’s 20th anniversary show during Shanghai Fashion Week, the Hong Kong lifestyle label unveiled Edison Chen’s new ‘global partnership’ with Adidas Originals, the casual fashion subdivision of Adidas. Edison Chen is the founder and creative director of CLOT, a Canadian-born Hong Kong-based actor, singer and rapper, as well as a designer and entrepreneur.
The collaboration started with the exclusive sneakers CLOT NEIGHBORHOOD ADIDAS SUPERSTAR BY EDISON CHEN, a three-way collaboration with Japanese streetwear brand NEIGHBORHOOD. More co-branded items were debuted at CLOT’s anniversary show, including apparel and more sneakers. Chen takes inspiration from classic Adidas Originals designs and elevates them with street or formal styles, creating what he calls a ‘new EDC vibe that is more chic than street’.
Adidas’s new CEO Bjørn Gulden visited China just last month where he expressed his ambition to connect more with young people in China. Adidas is still feeling the fallout from Chinese consumers’ boycott over Xinjiang cotton, while facing fierce competition from domestic brands Li Ning and Anta. Adidas has been exploring localised products and campaigns to regain interest from Chinese consumers. Against this backdrop, Chen is a perfect collaborator as bridging the East and West has always been CLOT’s pursuit.
The anniversary show for SS2024 was themed ‘Change the Generation’, to show CLOT’s support for emerging talents, as well as Chinese culture and creativity. With the NEIGHBORHOOD collaborative sneakers already dropped, the rest of the Adidas co-branding series will become available next year.
