Inaugural Collection Revealed at the CLOT SS24 Fashion Show during Shanghai Fashion Week adidas Originals and Edison Chen announce their global partnership, adidas Originals by Edison Chen, as Chen ma
Source: adidas Originals and Edison Chen Announce Global Partnership
There are still CLOT x Jordan Brand products sitting in Nike’s retail stores. Many of them are marked down, not because Chen left to partner with adidas, but because the items were less about Chen’s aesthetic and more about Jordan Brand. The North American consumer in fashion isn’t attempting to make a statement. The consumer is looking to be a part of the trend.
Homogeneity leads in the U.S. To an extent, this is how things work everywhere. Sportswear thoroughly dominates youth culture in the U.S. and a young person is fly if they are wearing Nike Tech Fleece. In Hong Kong, there tends to be a more expansive idea of fashion. It’s more inclusive and rooted in individualism with culture and heritage driving many of the design options.
In recent years adidas obviously leaned extremely hard in the direction of U.S. influencers and designers. Ye, Beyonce, Pharrell and Jerry Lorenzo became synonymous with adidas. It was successful if YZY is the measurement, but the last six years saw adidas struggle to really grow their overall fanbase. The partnerships with Ye, Bey and Jerry have been about the collaborator. People became greater fans of the person, not the brand.
“With adidas, we’re creating to inspire. I think the ability to freely create something is one of the reasons why I do this. My whole aesthetic, especially in the past few years, has fully transformed. I haven’t had the chance to create through that lens yet, which is why this collaboration is exciting and nerve-wracking for me because we’re heading in that direction through this partnership. I’m coming in with a new inspiration. I spent the summer in Europe immersing myself in the Adidas brand, which gave me a new point of view. The new EDC vibe is more chic than street. After the 20th year, I’m more excited than ever.” — Edison Chen
CLOT and Edison Chen won’t reach a broader demographic. It won’t resonate in the U.S. at all. The partnership does drive fashion affiliation in an important growth region, China.
The realignment with Edison Chen already looks and appears different than the Jordan Brand partnership. CLOT and Jordan Brand relied heavily on the Retro Jordan silhouettes. When the brand strayed from numbered Jordans, which weren’t really redesigned, the collab collapsed.
If Chen utilized the Retro 5, sell through was strong. When Chen used a sneaker like the Delta the product sat. Jordan Brand possibly limited what could be done. There were hardly any adjustments in shape and construction. CLOT x Jordan was simply a change in color and logos. The SS24 show, and Chen’s comment above, establishes freedom, and in these images, more risks.
This is not a big loss for Nike. It isn’t a major gain for adidas, but it definitely addresses an issue for The Three Stripes. “Total revenues in Greater China declined 9% in Q1,” of 2023. Nationalism is becoming a more important issue for brands in China with the Xinjiang Cotton Controversy. This is a strategic, smart play by the brand. Read about the Cotton Controversy below:
China’s Nationalism Could Make Brand Decisions to Abandon Mom and Pops in the U.S a Terrible Choice