Market Moments: Adidas and Artist Hebru Brantley Reveal Collaborations
Adidas has a new collaboration on the way with artist Hebru Brantley.
The German sportswear giant tapped the Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based contemporary artist to rework its Forum Low and High sneaker silhouettes, launching on Thursday, July 13 at select Adidas stores and the Confirmed app.
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The two pairs come in colors signature of Brantley’s work, and feature contrast lacing and illustrated sock liners. The Forum Low is in a rich blue while the Forum High is in black and green. Both have tongue details featuring characters he has created: Frogboy on the High and Rocket on the Low.
“This collaboration is important for me as a black kid from the South Side of Chicago, I have the ability to make some cool art and have it be celebrated across the country and across the world,” Brantley said. “I’ve been given creative freedom, from the idea behind the shoes to the campaign to the visual language without any restrictions. I’ve been allowed to tell the stories I want to tell that center on empowerment over power.”
Brantley is known for his narrative-driven work mostly influenced by the AfriCOBRA movement in the ’60s and ’70s in Chicago’s South Side. In addition to characters Frogboy and Rocket, Brantley in 2019 featured two other popular characters, FlyBoy and Lil Mama, at a 6,000-square-foot installation at Nevermore Park in Chicago with paintings, sculptures, interactive rooms, experiences and displays.
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In addition to teaming with Adidas, the artist has collaborated with a range of companies spanning fashion, automotive, spirits, music, television, media, gaming and sports including Hublot, Lacoste, Champion and Bape; Cadillac; Hennessy and Bombay Sapphire; Chance the Rapper; Nickelodeon; Bleacher Report; EA Sports; the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Cubs; Nascar, and the NBA.
Prior to the collaboration, Adidas had been tying up with luxury fashion houses under the Kering umbrella, including Gucci that launched on June 7 and more recently Balenciaga.
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