Hender Scheme announces collaboration with Adidas Originals
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Japanese leather artisan, Ryo Kashiwazaki and his brand Hender Scheme have been announced as Adidas Originals’ latest collaboration.
The interesting collaboration will see Hender Scheme attempt to redesign three of Adidas’ distinct styles: The MicroPacer, NDM and the Superstar. Adding their distinct style, Hender Scheme will remove Adidas’ design features and replace them with their leather. 800 exclusive pairs, produced in the brands signature pastel colours are set to be released on August 17, and will be available at selected stores worldwide, starting at the price of 900 US dollars a pair.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Business of Fashion, Kashiwazaki said, “we are making these shoes our way, so we can only make so many.” The designer added; “we love sneakers, and what Adidas does in a different way - manual versus industrial products. So maybe we can find a way in the future where these methods can work together.”
The collaborative collection will be manufactured by Hender Scheme themselves, using the same leather and artisans from the brand’s established Japanese ateliers.
Kashiwazaki has been praised for his previous, one of a kind designs that reimagine familiar trainers such as Nike's Air Jordan IV. Kashiwazaki’s unique versions are assembled exclusively by hand, combining premium leather with specialised, high-end manufacturing processes.
The collaboration comes seven years after Hender Scheme first launched their ‘Hommage’ collection, which proved popular among fashion’s ‘hypebeasts’. The artisanal brand, who also produce leather footwear, bags and household products, hope that by collaborating with Adidas, “the customers and stores [will] also notice our main collection” said Kashiwazaki.
This also makes sense for Adidas, who add, “we think what Ryo-san does elevates our profile instead of denigrating it, the way a counterfeit product does. We love the idea of approaching sneakers from an artisanal perspective. It speaks to our ethos, because Adi Dassler also came from a cobbler background.”
“The idea here, as with all of our collaborations, is mutual respect,” commented Erman Aykurt, senior design director at Adidas Originals. “It is unbelievable how much knowledge in terms of craftsmanship Hender Scheme has to offer, so we are deferring to Ryo-san to produce the shoes. In turn, we hope that he gains a new level of exposure through this collaboration. We have never seen the hype train go this fast.”
Though the exclusive collection is destined to gain popularity due to Adidas’ worldwide appeal, Hender Scheme’s artisanal production methods come with limitations. Kashiwazaki wants to stick to exclusivity, commenting, “if we grow too fast, it’s not good for us, and it’s not good for the artisans. I want to keep going for a long time and grow slowly.”