First Look: Adidas Originals x Daniëlle Cathari
A week before NYFW, adidas Originals held a street casting for its new collaboration with a rising Amsterdam-based designer, Daniëlle Cathari. Young models (most of them not signed by any agencies) were chosen to hang out in a playground set space on Thursday, February 8, wearing deconstructed Adidas tracksuits. In turn, brand ambassador Kendall Jenner and her model friend Hailey Baldwin attended as guests, roaming around and snapping pictures of the models on set.
This was exactly what Cathari had in mind: to have young, "normal" models presenting her designs with adidas Originals. The sports brand invited the 23-year-old designer to collaborate after her VFILES show last year, where she first reinvented the classic three-stripe silhouettes. For this year’s collection, she played with more color and fabric, and incorporated them into bra tops, washed denims, and cargo pants. We have a feeling that her signature design will be the new it-girl uniform.
During the presentation, L'Officiel chatted with Cathari and the senior designer at Originals, Raffaella Barbey, about the collaboration.
How did this collaboration with adidas come about?
Daniëlle Cathari: It started with a school project, the assignment was to create three looks that best represent your signature style and I knew I wanted to do something with tracksuits, particularly the adidas tracksuit because it is just so iconic— the stripes, the signature fabric, and the color. So, I got a bunch of vintage adidas tracksuits, tore them apart, and deconstructed them into new tracksuit silhouettes in a more feminine way. And VFILES saw this on social media and they gave me the opportunity to show them during fashion week, which was exactly a year ago.
Raffaella Barbey: When we saw it, we were blown away by how much this young creator just showed so much love for the brand and we encouraged that, and we were curious to collaborate with her.
While working with adidas, what have you learned most from the brand? What was the best piece of advice from them?
DC: Coming from school, it is so different from how it works in the real world, in the industry. I think this whole process, which has been amazing, is that everything is so fast, it’s giving me this whole drive. I think that’s the main thing that I learned from this experience. That everything is going so fast.
RB: From our end, we wanted to encourage her to do what she does best. Really mastering the signature design that she created and just run for it. We want to see young creators design with their lens and then just show their love for the brand. Be creative, show the brand’s identity, repurpose it, and do something that is new for the consumer of today.
You held a street casting call for this presentation, and most of the models weren’t signed by any agency. Why?
DC: This whole collection is for everyone, for every kind of girl and woman. We really wanted to have these real girls who are authentically themselves. It’s worked out so well.
RB: We also wanted to have diversity, different sizes, different shapes, different heights. Just like Danielle said, it’s for everyone, it’s how you wear it, and this individuality that comes out.
I know that Kendall has been a part of your collaboration with adidas. Does she have a favorite piece?
DC: Her favorite piece is the cargo pants. She said, “this gives you super long legs. It’s like endless!” And she wore the black and off white tracksuit today. She also loves the orange tracksuit, this is the New York edition one.
You’re so accomplished at such a young age. How do you juggle your time between fashion school and all of this?
DC: For now, I just postponed my graduation, because I wanted to focus on this project. I mean, this opportunity, what I’m doing now, this is it.
What’s your next move after you graduate? Do you plan on moving to New York?
DC: I’d love to move to New York! Maybe not this year, but yes, I definitely would love to move to New York. And I’m working on my own collection and my own brand.
For your own collection, is it going to be the same style, or are you going to try new things?
DC: There are definitely some signatures. My signature really is reimagining classics and the deconstruction part. But also, very much working with contrast—unexpected contrast— whether it’s color, whether it’s silhouettes, fabrics, details.
Do you notice any differences between fashion in New York and Amsterdam?
DC: Amsterdam is small and cozy, I love Amsterdam, but it’s different in so many ways. For instance, the whole street casting thing, if you would do this in Amsterdam maybe only five people would show up? [Laughs] We are way too down to Earth! There is a balance with the super confident New York girls, which I also love.
Adidas Originals by Daniëlle Cathari is now available. Each fashion week city (New York, London, Paris, and Shanghai) will receive an exclusive tracksuit color from the collection. The second drop is set for April.
