ADIDAS ORIGINALS by JEREMY SCOTT: in stores february 2nd.

Happy-Meal chic, tourist-trap style, guillotine glam... it’s got to be Jeremy Scott. 

As a fashion designer, Scott loves contradictions, clashes between high-end fashion references and common, if not outright vulgar, elements to produce a very tongue-in-cheek look.  Perhaps it has to do with the very contrasting styles of the two cities he toggles between: Paris, where he shows his collections, known for high-end fashion, and Los Angeles, where he lives, with its bubblegum way of life.

But before we can get our hands on Jeremy Scott’s latest, Marie-Antoinette-inspired creations for the summer, the fruits of his collaboration with Adidas hit the streets tomorrow.

The 24 clothing items and 8 shoe styles done with the iconic German 3-band sportswear brand are just the beginning of a multi-year deal for Scott, but also part of the wider Original by Original project : invite designers to make groundbreaking mini collections of apparel and footwear for both men and women, and featuring both the Adidas logo and the designers’.

So what can we expect from this mix of gutter-couture and diamond-in-the-rough streetwear ? Leopard-print t-shirts and shoes, a leopard-hoody complete with claws, tail and whiskers. 
Sporty cotton peacoats, oversized-sequined jumpers, fringe-a-licious tanktops. 
Winged sneakers which flap around when you walk, and high-tops with an XXL Adidas logos. 
Though there is no explicit theme unifying theme to the collection, it has a certain circus feel, bringing to mind a ringmaster, wild animals, sequined contortionists, Mexican wrestlers and winged-footed creatures fit for a freakshow. 
Perfect for the most demanding sport ever, clubbing.

Jeremy Scott says he asked himself 'what would M.I.A. wear; what would the girls wear?’ Giant silver sequined shorts and jacket !” To top-off this star-studded list of celebrity admirers, Scott adds “Kate Perry just borrowed some stuff for a video.”

    Yet perhaps the true inspiration for the collection stems not from Beverly Hills but Scott’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, where he grew up before studying at New York’s Pratt institute and moving to metropolises such as Paris and Los Angeles.  Kansas City, which is as American Midwest as it gets, is definitely “a country where everyone wore sweat pants” says the designer.

    Concerning his relationship with Adidas, Scott says “it was proposed to me as complete freedom, to really do what I wanted.” Maybe that’s a tad risky coming for a company like Adidas. Then again, when you consider Jeremy Scott’s previous collaboration with the brand produced money-print sneakers now sold on eBay for $7000, the mind takes a different turn: maybe what we need right now are some new sneakers, so that when the time comes, we’ll be ready to run to the store.

Adidas Original by Original Jeremy Scott collection launches February 1st, 2009 in select locations, and March 1st, 2009 in wider retail including Adidas Original stores.