adidas has recaptured some attention over the past few months. No, not because the brand is killing it in the NBA, with new athlete signings, or challenging the status quo on the soccer field. Instead, the excitement is bred through an unmatched campaign to unite thought leaders in music and style. The three stripes are buzzing after luring a disgruntled Kanye West away from Nike and add him to an already lofty crew of designers that include Yohji Yamamoto, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Jeremy Scott. Now it appears there's another big-name signing for adidas that's been just out of sight of the blogosphere, Pharrell Williams.
A month ago, Highsnobiety published an industry rumor that Pharrell was signing to the sports brand, and reported, "Multiple sources have cited that the German firm has been working for months on an agreement that would add Williams to the adidas roster of artists and designers."
Two days later, on January 26, Pharrell showed up to the Grammys in a Vivienne Westwood brown hat that stole the show, but he was also wearing a pivotal garment: A leather version of adidas' classic Firebird jacket that had been made famous by B-boys in the '80s.
Since then, the evidence has been rolling in and pointing to Pharrell - who previously has designed sneakers with A Bathing Ape, Nike, and Reebok - coming on-board with adidas.
Two weeks after Pharrell hit the Grammy red carpet, he appeared at a nominee luncheon for the Academy Awards in a pair of customized white and green adidas Stan Smiths that read, "I Dunno," on the right sneaker sneaker and "Inside" on the left shoe.
Let's pause for a second. When was the last time Pharrell wore sneakers that weren't from a high-end fashion house? read more...
