As discussed here on JWS, Finish Line (FINL) recently announced that it has signed platinum hip hop group Migos to roles as creative directors, tasked with picking product, styling it for shoots and directing the production set. Since that announcement, several other partnerships have been unveiled. Pharrell Williams teamed up with Adidas (ADDYY) Originals to create a super-cool, 70’s-inspired tennis themed clothing line for the 2017 U.S. Open. A$AP Ferg reunited with Adidas Skateboarding to release apparel and footwear that will bring hip hop and skate together, drawing inspiration from vintage ADDYY track suits and the gritty NYC skateboarding scene and Kendrick Lamar announced that he has made the decision to leave Reebok (ADDYY) for a creative role with Team Nike (NKE).
Howie Long-Short: Adidas called their partnership with Kanye West “the most significant ever created between an athletic brand and a nonathlete”, and it’s hard to argue against that. The Chicago rapper single-handedly changed the perception of the athletic retailer. Now the company plans on opening stores dedicated solely to the Yeezy line.
Fan Marino: BIG fan of the Pharrell/Adidas line. This vintage tennis bag is the best of the collection. Interested in the A$AP FERG/Adidas line? It debuts TODAY; Friday, September 1st. Kendrick Lamar’s Nike collaboration is likely to focus around the Nike Cortez, which first debuted in 1972 and was re-released earlier this year.
