Adidas together with Stella McCartney are revealing Stellashine, a remaigining of workout wardrobe staples.
Below she is diving deeper into the ideation and creation of the collection.
What was your inspiration behind the FW21 STELLASHINE collection?
Stella McCartney: One of the key foundations of my partnership with adidas is creating quality pieces that not only perform in challenging conditions, but also look beautiful.
The STELLASHINE collection is exactly that – activewear that has been elevated with some incredible, reflective shine materials and textures so wearers can go straight from a workout to exploring the city or meeting friends.
We’ve taken all the workout wardrobe essentials – tights, crops, training jackets, running shoes – and made them pop using adidas technologies including AEROREADY and BOOST.
The pieces are made with recycled polyester and PRIMEGREEN, a series of recycled materials. Garments made with PRIMEGREEN use a minimum of 40% recycled material in total.
Why is it important for you to champion, and work with young creators?
Stella McCartney: I think it’s really important for big brands like adidas by Stella McCartney to give a platform to young creators who are doing things differently. We are constantly looking for talent who inspire us, but also inspire their communities through their art, their activism and their attitude.
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© adidas
What is truly exciting about this season is that we have collaborated with talent that span a greater pool of locations, from Berlin to New York, London to Barcelona – a real global line up who each bring new ideas; fresh perspectives and I love how they’ve brought their visions to life.
For STELLASHINE, we handed over the creative reigns to the amazing Jazz Grant, whose striking hand-cut collage work is just incredible.
Starring in the campaign, we then have the formidable Oumi Janta who is a roller-skater and founder of Jam Skate Club who brings her electrifying energy to the visuals, and model and free-spirited creative Anuthida Ploypetch who’s work focuses on the importance of mindfulness and kindness, to connect with herself and the world around her.
The collection is designed for ‘next-generation changemakers’. What makes someone a change-maker?
Stella McCartney: A change-maker, or ‘active activist’ as we’ve said in the past, is ultimately someone who seeks to drive positive change. It can be as simple as engaging in dialogue that challenges stereotypes and opinions to someone who dedicates their entire life to a cause.
A change-maker is someone who has a collective mindset rather than individual; it’s about making choices that not only benefit yourself, but your community and your environment.
What drew you to collaborators and talent, Jazz, Oumi and Anuthida, who feature in the STELLASHINE campaign?
Stella McCartney: When I first saw Jazz’s collage work, I was taken with how she uses art to celebrate Black communities, bringing out real, raw emotion.
I admire her craftsmanship and her analogue technique of hand-cutting, combining different textures and visuals to create something spectacular.
I wanted to work with Jazz on the STELLASHINE campaign because I find creatives like her really inspiring – her work makes a statement and has a deeper meaning.
Berlin based Oumi and Anuthida were the perfect people to feature in Jazz’s work.
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© adidas 
© adidas
I was drawn to them because once again, you have these two creatives who are making a big impact in their own communities and both have such a positive energy that reflects the bold collection.
Oumi is a roller-skating sensation and like most, I was blown away when I saw videos of her skating on Instagram!
Her skating style originated with Black communities across the US in the 70s and it’s amazing that she’s paying homage to that.
What are the biggest differences when designing performance-wear vs. your ready to wear collections?
Stella McCartney: I think the most exciting thing about designing performance-wear is that you’re not only looking at the aesthetic.
The adidas by Stella McCartney collections we create are always highly technical and use adidas’ latest performance innovations that make it some of the best sportswear on the market.
Looking at the different ways people are moving and exercising, particularly over the last year, we had to make sure the collection had technical features that can support next-gen changemakers as they move through the world.
The Metallic Running Jacket, for example, folds down completely into a pouch so you can go straight from workout to running errands.
The Ultraboost 21 is a high-tech urban running shoe and uses adidas BOOST technology that makes it impossibly comfortable.
Both of these pieces – and the rest of the STELLASHINE collection – are high-performance, but we’ve used unique shine and metallic materials and cuts that make them look really striking and stylish.
I think that’s what I love most about designing performance wear; fusing the technical features with high-fashion principles.
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© adidas 
© adidas
What are some of the technical innovations that have been used in the collection?
Stella McCartney: Throughout the STELLASHINE collection, we’ve taken advantage of adidas’ technology and innovations like BOOST cushioning in the footwear, the READY temperature management system, and high-performance materials that are more sustainable like recycled polyester and PRIMEGREEN.
What do you think makes the collection stand out?
Stella McCartney: It’s bold, and I love how we’ve created supportive silhouettes that sculpt the waist and hips in an array of really striking metallic and animal print fabrics.
It’s the perfect workout attire, but it also works for socialising for those who want a stand-out statement look – a true studio-to-street collection.
The STELLASHINE collection available from July 15 on adidas.com and via the adidas app.