Rowing Blazers and K-Swiss Team Up on a Sporty, ’90s-Inspired Collection of Clothes and Kicks

Demetrius Simms
·2 min read

Rowing Blazers and K-Swiss want to help you party like it’s 1995.

The preppy clothing label has joined forces with the footwear stalwart for a capsule collection of sporty apparel, footwear and accessories. Now available, the colorful assortment of unisex styles includes a ‘90s-inspired graphic pullover windbreaker, black and off-white cotton twill caps in a retro silhouette, a white sweatshirt and a graphic black tee. The drop also offers a special-edition, co-branded take on K-Swiss’s iconic Si-18 sneaker that features light blue, pink and green colors.

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The capsule collection is fronted by former American No. 1 men’s tennis player, Mardy Fish, and borrows from Rowing Blazers founder and creative director Jack Carlson’s personal collection of vintage K-Swiss products. A formidable athlete himself, Carlson is a three-time member of the US national rowing team. The collaboration, he said, is all the more meaningful because he’s been rocking K-Swiss kicks since he was a kid. “I wanted to use a very wearable ‘90s palette, and I was inspired by the tennis gear I collected growing up, going to the Open and attending tennis camps,” he explained.

Mardy Fish in a head-to-toe look from the capsule collection. - Credit: Rowing Blazers
Mardy Fish in a head-to-toe look from the capsule collection. - Credit: Rowing Blazers

Rowing Blazers

“It’s also incredible to partner with Mardy Fish on the campaign,” Carlson continued. “In my own time as an athlete on the US rowing team, I identified with Mardy’s story. So, working with Mardy has made this collaboration even more special.”

Fish began playing professional tennis in 2000 at the age of 18, by which time K-Swiss’s Si-18 Premier sneaker had already been on the market for over a decade. The shoes debuted in 1989 as a nod to athletic heritage and optimized performance. For the special-edition redesign of the kicks, Rowing Blazers combined multiple classic K-Swiss elements to ensure maximum comfort and support. They include asymmetric single-density PU midsoles, the famous D-R Cinch lacing system and the Silicon Formula 18 rubber compound, a groundbreaking concept at the time of its original release.

Pullover printed sweatshirt and pink shorts from the drop - Credit: Rowing Blazers
Pullover printed sweatshirt and pink shorts from the drop - Credit: Rowing Blazers

Rowing Blazers

The capsule collection items range in price from $60 to $195 and are now available online at Rowing Blazers, K-Swiss and Fred Segal. If you’re in LA, you can also stop by Fred Segal’s 8500 Sunset Blvd. pop-up to shop the styles in-store until June 30th. A portion of sales from each pair of sneakers will go to the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation that gives kids from underserved communities access to fitness, nutrition and enrichment programs.

Doubles anyone?

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