The coveted Adidas Originals by Wales Bonner Spring/Summer 2021 collection, which debuted at Men’s Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, was inspired by the dancehall scene of early 1980s Jamaica
Wales Bonner and Adidas Originals have teamed up again for a new, 1980s-inspired collection. The Spring/Summer 2021 collaboration, titled Essence, follows on from the sellout success of their Autumn/Winter 2020 debut, which Wales Bonner branded as “luxury sportswear from an Afro-Atlantic perspective”.
Available from MATCHESFASHION, the latest offering follows a similar path to the previous season. While Autumn/Winter 2020 was more focused on the Jamaican communities of 1970s London, Spring/Summer 2021 moves closer to the present, exploring the dancehall music scene of 1980s Jamaica. The outcome is both effortless and elegant, intertwining vintage Adidas looks with top-tier tailoring and romantic flourishes (think check prints, mesh details and long, tapered collars).
In an interview with AnOther last year, Wales Bonner said that she wanted to explore the “intersection between tailoring and sportswear” and that Adidas felt like a “natural partner” to experiment with. “It has been naturally integrated and transformed in the wardrobes of so many cultural icons,” she said of the brand.
The Spring/Summer 2021 collection is accompanied by an evocative short film, which follows a group of young Jamaicans playing football and looking after horses. The clip was shot on location in Jamaica by Jeano Edwards, and styled by Tom Guinness.
The Adidas Originals by Wales Bonner Spring/Summer 2021 collection is available globally on 26 March 2021 adidas.com.