After several sold-out collaborations, Willy Chavarria is expanding his role at Adidas.
Now serving as a creative adviser, Chavarria has developed the first AdiSignature collection for Adidas Originals. Set to launch this week, the line brings a fresh perspective to some of the brand’s most notable apparel staples.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth with my Adidas collaboration,” Chavarria told WWD in an interview ahead of the launch. “The Willy team has really gotten closer to Adidas over the years while doing these projects, so it just made sense to do something else.”
To develop the collection, the designer noted that he spent time at the Adidas office in Los Angeles. “I stepped in and helped navigate the way that the business is moving from a fashion perspective,” Chavarria said. “It has been exciting to start something new.”
The offering, which features a range of hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts and trackpants, was first conceived as a “blurb,” Chavarria noted. “We presented this capsule collection, which started out kind of small, in Germany with the concept, a video, and a full storyline behind it. Everyone really loved it.”
The line draws from the past while also aiming to create sweats that get better with time, that people want to live in, keep for years, and style in their own way.
“I wanted to … bring in a lot of those Adidas historic references and interpret them into modern fits,” Chavarria said. “So using a lot of my own psychology in building the fits and making sure that they’re roomy, that they flow across genders. The fabrics are very comfortable. The constructions are long-lasting, so they’re all items that are intended to stay in your closet, and then hopefully, we’ll see them on eBay like 50 years from now, looking so cool and washed-out.”
The inaugural offering sees bold 1980s-inspired blocking with Adidas and Trefoil branding and Three Stripes executions transposed onto a range of comfy apparel, as well as the brand’s Firebird and SST tracksuits. Each piece is offered in an array of bold, nostalgic colors. Alongside the mainline collection, a premium NY block pack elevates an archival jogging suit from the ‘80s for the contemporary moment.
And while the collection was developed by Chavarria, AdiSignature will not carry his name or branding on the final product.
“What we wanted to do was create something that felt very new for Adidas, but also resonated as pure Adidas,” Chavarria maintained. “So I just chose my favorite colors, my favorite styles, things that I looked at over time, like every time I’m shopping, you know, the secondhand market, the things that come to mind for me. You’ll see my design approach in the collection, just not my signature.”
This new line is also intended to sit separately from Chavarria’s ongoing co-branded collaboration with Adidas.
“The collabs are built with scarcity intentionally,” the designer said. “AdiSignature is not filled with scarcity. This is for longevity. We will replenish when it sells out, but also the price points are super accessible. So, some of these styles that people haven’t been able to get in mainstream market from a brand like Adidas, without buying a collab, or Y3, or the more elevated versions, can now get this collection.”
The introduction of the AdiSignature line is accompanied by a campaign shot and directed by Brianna Capozzi, with styling from Georgia Pendlebury. The film follows a cast that discusses their memories, their relationships and their identity — all through the lens of color, Adidas said.
AdiSignature launches on Friday via Adidas.com, Adidas retail stores and select retail partners.