A sporting side stripe becomes a crochet detail on a leather blouson in Wales Bonner’s new adidas collection. A shade described as bark, tonal embossed branding and the leather surface jointly alter a familiar garment’s character. According to adidas, the Fall/Winter collaboration launched globally on October 29. Alongside the footwear, the materials and cutting of an entire wardrobe deserve attention.
The official October 27 announcement describes revisiting the partnership’s own archive. That differs from a release that merely recalls an old adidas model: the collaboration now has recurring solutions and material relationships of its own. In our editorial reading, an update becomes interesting when a recognisable form works differently because of its surface, rather than simply receiving a new name.
The WB Karintha footwear has dark brown crocodile-stamped leather uppers and gold-tone eyelets. The WB Gazelle Snake is also described as crocodile-stamped leather, in green. Pattern should not be confused with animal species: the brand specifies a surface treatment here, which does not establish the use of actual crocodile skin. Precise material terminology also changes how we understand a product’s price or distinctiveness.
The WB ADIZERO Adios Suede moves a running silhouette into a lifestyle context, with fully suede uppers and custom Three Stripes details. On the WB BW Pony, a hairy surface contrasts with stamped lizard-print leather overlays. This differs from the glossier embossed pieces: the direction and tactile character of the surface become part of the visual effect. Even in a photograph, those details cannot be read simply as colours.
In apparel, the leather blouson sits beside a double-knit jersey tracksuit, a pinstripe top and shorts, a collared football top and stirrup-detail trousers. Stripes can evoke both sportswear and a tailored suit. That connection is created by surface rhythm and proportions constructed around the body rather than by a single logo. It allows a tracksuit to be imagined in a different dressing context.
The official inspiration for Harley Weir’s campaign is 1980s London. Another well-documented setting for Wales Bonner’s relationship with archives was MoMA’s Spirit Movers exhibition, held from November 18, 2023 to April 7, 2024. Wallpaper’s own interview highlighted materials’ previous lives and transformation. This should be read as an example of the designer’s recurring research interests, not as a direct origin story for the present clothes.
From a Hungarian dressing perspective, combining different surfaces offers the useful lesson. A strongly textured shoe does not necessarily require equally assertive trousers; differences between garments can also hold an outfit together. When shopping, look beyond the product name and campaign atmosphere to the actual material, the fall of the trouser leg and where it meets the shoe. An archive stays alive when it prompts a new decision about wearing.
Related: Grace Wales Bonner’s research-led approach.
