Why Adidas was the real winner of fashion month

While luxury’s usual heavyweights dominated fashion week buzz, a quieter player made its presence felt this season: Adidas. The sportswear titan was ubiquitous across the Spring 2025 calendar – at Milan Fashion Week, a debut collaboration with irreverent runway disruptor Avavav generated online chatter, while, in Paris, the label unveiled the latest chapter of its ongoing partnership with Stella McCartney. Adidas’ fashion week triumphs arrive during a period of significant growth for the company. In July, Adidas Group reported double-digit sales gains across all channels, with the Adidas brand achieving 16% YoY growth in Q2. Operating profit more than doubled to 346 million euros ($380 million), up from 176 million euros ($193 million) in the same period last year. In contrast, the brand's primary competitor Nike faces a weaker outlook for fiscal 2025, forecasting a 10% YoY decline in sales. The brand cited a slowdown in its critical Chinese market as a key factor behind the drop. Brand heat As Nike nosedives, Adidas’ ties with unexpected fashion disruptors is helping drive brand heat. “Working with luxury brands, and not the most mainstream ones, adds a veneer of exquisite appeal to Adidas that should help the brand win a few cool points,” Anthony McGuire, co-founder and CEO of PWR House, a next-gen advisory firm specializing in sports, fashion, music, and culture tells Jing Daily. “Customers usually don't buy sneakers from Nike and Adidas because of their footwear technology, but because of their cultural relevance.” Adidas’ recent endeavor alongside indie label Avavav is a shining example. A partnership 18 months in the making, the result – debuted at Milan Fashion Week via models attempting a 100m sprint – was a new direction for Adidas, taking its hero house codes and reimagining them as high-fashion pieces, such as sneaker stiletto heels, handbags, and maxi dresses. The show was a hit. According to marketing data platform Lefty, Avavav and Adidas’ tie-up has already raked in $1.1 million in Earned Media Value – a metric that puts a price tag on the online buzz generated by a brand. One week later, at Paris Fashion Week, the brand unveiled a new perspective through its partnership with Chinese designer Caroline Hu. Her Spring 2025 show – dubbed ‘Reverie’ – saw models sport buoyant gowns paired with Adidas Originals, adorned with supersize bows, alongside a revival of the brand’s calf-length boxing sneakers. Amplifying talent Unlike many athleisure brands that rely on commercial collaborations to boost sales, Adidas’ gamble on smaller cult favorites has helped position the label at a comfortable crossroads of streetwear, fashion, and luxury, says Andrew Lam, a fashion consultant and co-founder of lifestyle agency TouchLDN. Partnerships with industry heavyweights like Stella McCartney, whose 10-year Adidas collaboration debuted a fresh capsule in Paris on September 30, have been key in broadening Adidas' core offerings, says Lam. Yet, the brand remains unafraid to venture into more niche creative territories, even those with less mass-market appeal. “A lot of large companies like Adidas can have a ton of red tape,” Chris Colgan, a US-based sneaker enthusiast and collector tells Jing Daily. “It’s good to bring in someone who will make you think differently and bring a different style, while preserving your brand’s current reputation.” It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. While emerging designers like Hu and Avavav benefit from Adidas' global platform to amplify their work, Adidas is subsequently burnishing its style credentials – a move that keeps the brand relevant among the fashion-forward crowd. High-low crossovers As luxury brands brace for more market slowdowns and athleisure labels aim to boost their cultural cachet, high-low collaborations have become the industry standard. Adidas wasn’t the only performance label to team up with a luxury name for fashion month; Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Bahnsen, for example, unveiled a collection with The North Face at Paris Fashion Week, hot on the heels of her recent tie-up with Asics. Off the runway, the past year has also seen Salomon tie up with Sandy Liang, Bode join forces with Nike, New Balance with Miu Miu, and Puma with Aries. As competitors ride the collab wave, Adidas stands apart, says PWR House’s McGuire. “I'm not sure Adidas is leaning into high fashion brands so much as high fashion brands are leaning into Adidas,” McGuire says. “Collaborations are the battleground for sneaker brands, and Adidas’ strategy seems focused on positioning itself as a high-quality, aspirational yet slightly attainable product." Crowded surrounds With the sneakerhead bubble deflating and newcomers like On and Salomon entering the streetwear canon, established players like Nike and Adidas can’t rely on legacy alone. Not to mention the current emphasis on personal style among Gen Z, whereby consumers are turning away from mass trends, often TikTok-driven, in favor of niche, unique brands. For Adidas, whose mainstream hits like last year’s Samba resurgence are swiftly declared “out” by tastemakers, smaller, cult designer collaborations offer a savvy way to stay relevant amid the shifting landscape. Staying in the zeitgeist is all about presence, which is why collaborations are crucial for keeping a brand alive. But too many tie-ups can dilute impact and risk consumer fatigue. Is Adidas overdoing it with its recent slew of collabs? Touch LDN’s Lam doesn’t think so. “A brand like Adidas has a well-established history of strategic partnerships, built on a strong foundation of carefully chosen collaborations,” he says. “These partnerships have been thoughtfully curated, and so far, there has been no indication of any negative impact on the brand. Instead, these collaborations have only strengthened Adidas’ market position.”

Why Adidas was the real winner of fashion month

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Published October 09, 2024

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Why Adidas was the real winner of fashion month