Adidas unveils new label, just a day after Jenna Ortega is named its ambassador

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 2, 2023

Well that was quick. Just a day after unveiling Jenna Ortega as the face of a soon-to-be-revealed new brand, Adidas has launched the label. And it’s particularly significant that it’s more athleisure than active sportswear.

It’s called Adidas Sportswear and “complements” the brand’s Performance and Originals labels. The new line “aims to level up the wearer’s everyday look via a range of fresh fits that use the latest performance technology to bring the same comfort and confidence to the everyday, as its performance collections have been for athletes, for decades”.

Ortega, making her debut for the sports giant, fronts the SS23 collection with the company calling her “a next-generation icon”.

Adidas said she’s “a true reflection and champion of individualism and versatility – aligning perfectly with what Adidas Sportswear has been designed to embody and aptly symbolising how the next generation is showing up in the world”.

Launching with early access in the app on Thursday and available more widely from 9 February, what does the new label comprise? “Sporty in essence, the collection offers specific performance technologies through simple cutlines, colourways and stripped-back design details, with comfort running through its every fibre,” we’re told. “Curated to serve the next generation during multiple moments, as they tackle the sport of life, each iconic piece can be remixed to create a unique look or remain a subtle yet striking fit if worn as is”.

Adidas added that the Avryn shoe and Tiro Suit take centre stage as “the perfect on-point aesthetic and uniform for kicking back with friends, heading to practice, or exploring the city for the weekend”.

The Tiro Suit Collection reimagines the company’s tracksuit silhouette with a deep heritage in football. It “translates sport design cues” specifically for the new brand. Fronting the collection, the all-black co-ord — Tiro Suit Up Advanced – “remains sporty at its core but takes on a new identify, as the classic 3- stripe set brings functionality to the fore whilst maintaining a minimalistic look”. 

And further adding to the concept of the collection as off-the-field/track/court clothing, Adidas said: “With the potential to create a variety of fresh looks, Jenna Ortega remixes it by pairing with a shirt and tie for her on-set moments but then switches it up with a gold sequinned crop for an evening out with friends.”

Meanwhile, Avryn is made in part with recycled materials and also fuses Boost and Bounce technology “in a new way to offer comfort both inside and out”. The first drop includes two colorways, a muted two-tone black and grey with minimal red detailing, as well as all-grey version with black signature 3-stripes complete with purple accent, origami inspired finishes and an exaggerated heel tab.

The wider collection also features a silk-like striped Express Dress, "which takes all the design elements of a wrap style silhouette, remixed with soft, comfortable ribbed cuffs”. It can be “subbed in as a lightweight jacket and layered over a basic ensemble”. 

Meanwhile, the relaxed fit Express Jersey is inspired by a 90’s football aesthetic with a two-tone colourway and offset white piping with a comfy casual fit. 

Finally, the sport-style Coach Jacket comes in a classic monochrome with an oversized fit and shine-finish fabric. It also has cuffed sleeves with 3 stripe detailing and an oversized collar.

The new label’s senior designer Jasmin Bynoe said: “Expertly blending sport silhouettes with fresh detailing, Adidas Sportswear brings together Adidas’ latest performance technologies and comfort-first looks to elevate the wearers’ everyday style. Offering a range of pieces that can be used as a blank canvas for each wearer to pair and style as they see fit, we paid close attention to incorporating specific cutlines, colourways and stripped back design details, so that the collection works no matter what the wearer’s day looks like.”

While Ortega is the star of the show, the campaign supporting the launch “will also see a wider collective of Adidas partners coming together to celebrate a comfort-first mindset and the power of self-expression”. That means Premier League current golden boot holder and music lover Son Heung-min, professional basketballer, off-court sketching enthusiast and self-care advocate Trae Young, Women’s Super League forward and nature lover Mary Fowler and "gamer and thrill-seeker" Carolina Voltan.