The new adidas Originals x Wales Bonner collaboration for Fall/Winter 2025 proves that sporting heritage and cultural sophistication need not exist in separate worlds. British designer Grace Wales Bonner, whose work has earned her the LVMH Young Designer Prize and CFDA International recognition, returns to adidas with a collection that speaks directly to fashion enthusiasts.
This is immediately apparent when examining the collection’s approach to athletic codes. Wales Bonner has reconceptualized adidas’s signature DNA through elegant tailoring that transforms blousons, jackets, tracksuits, and jerseys into pieces that feel considered and expressive. The designer’s particular genius lies in her ability to approach sportswear without diminishing its functional roots while elevating its aesthetic possibilities.
Two leather bowling bags anchor the accessories offering, drawing on adidas’s timeless codes to transform historical sporting aesthetics into sculptural forms. These pieces demonstrate Wales Bonner’s commitment to materiality and her ability to reimagine archival references through a contemporary lens. The bags represent functional luxury without pretension.
The WB Karintha Lo returns for its third iteration, this time in satin, following previous versions in suede and sequins. This progression shows a designer confident enough to explore new materials while maintaining a signature silhouette. Named after a character in Jean Toomer’s 1923 book Cane, the Karintha embodies Black femininity and independence through its design language.
Among the reimagined Trefoil classics, the WB Japan is presented in lavender, a historically serene and pure shade. The WB Superstar anchors the collaboration in iconic sports heritage with a fresh take, and the WB Adilette is elevated with thoughtful details like finely braided straps.
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Photographer Chris Rhodes captured the campaign featuring Gene Gallagher, Alva Claire, Shim Mheuka, and Bebe Parnell. The portraits celebrate countercultural energy and weave together personal perspectives that give meaning to the collection’s pieces. The images are authentic and individual, avoiding the typical polish of commercial fashion photography.
Wales Bonner proposes what she calls “cultural luxury,” infusing European heritage with an Afro-Atlantic spirit. Since launching her label after graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014, the designer has built her reputation on extensive cultural research and precise tailoring. Her collaboration with adidas began in 2020, sparking the revival of styles like the Samba with instantly collectible designs.
The designer’s institutional exhibitions include “A Time for New Dreams” at the Serpentine Galleries in London and “Artist’s Choice” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She currently leads a four-year research project at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Recently, Wales Bonner was appointed creative director of the Hermès menswear line, becoming the first woman of Black heritage to lead a major luxury fashion house.
Her adidas collaborations consistently demonstrate how sportswear can carry intellectual weight without becoming heavy-handed. The Fall/Winter 2025 collection maintains this approach through careful material selection and silhouettes that reference athletic styles without directly imitating them. Wales Bonner understands that cultural research strengthens design rather than overwhelming it.
The collection will be released globally on October 31st through adidas.com, the Confirmed app, and select retailers.
