We’re almost through the first month of the New Year and we’re hoping you’re still going strong at your fitness goals. Whether you’ve stayed consistent or not, we’ve got some motivation to keep you on track or to get back on track. adidas has teamed up with South African designer Rich Mnisi to design their latest collection of performance-wear, and it’s everything you need to add style and flair to your fitness journey.
The collection is an assortment of bold pieces that support a range of sports including running, cycling, swimming, and training. However, some pieces are versatile enough to go beyond the bounds of performance-wear and to be styled as a streetwear statement. Clashing prints and vibrant colors are spread throughout the collection to push the boundaries of sport style and to celebrate Mnisi’s heritage. “The biggest thing for me was that I wanted to bring the brand’s story to a bigger platform,” Mnisi tells ESSENCE.
“The brand is a dedication to my family and it’s inspired by my family. I wanted to do something that was ambitious and almost follow how European brands use family names and create a legacy, and that was the objective of branding Rich Mnisi, and telling stories of each family member,” Mnisi shared. “My tribe is Tsonga and we’re known for color, and the reason we’re known for color is because the tribe has always been sidelined and it represents a strength to be proud and to hype each other up.”
Mnisi takes it a step further by also featuring his close friends and members of the local community in the campaign for the collection. Each individual is someone that he finds inspirational and believes in to push culture forward.
Personal expression and being confident in your identity is embedded into each piece, which reflects the expressive nature that Mnisi’s brand is known for. He says, “When I started the brand, I was a very shy kid and I used the brand as my alter ego, and I think that wearing our clothes almost forces you to be very confident or to get out of your head.”
Aside from the amazing apparel within this drop, the collection also includes accessories and a range of footwear featuring a few iconic adidas silhouettes like the SuperStar, UltraBOOST, and Forum – all reimagined through Mnisi’s design.
The adidas X Rich Mnisi collection will be available for purchase starting February 1st on adidas.com.