ADIDAS ORIGINALS INTRODUCES ITS SPRING/SUMMER 2022 BLUE VERSION COLLECTION THROUGH A COLLABORATION WITH DUBAI ARTIST FINK 22

Dubai, February 16, 2022 – Relentlessly subversive by nature; uncompromisingly elevated by design – for Spring/Summer 2022, adidas Originals introduces its second Blue Version collection, launched at The Dubai Mall Originals Store with an exclusive collaboration with Dubai based visual artist, Fink 22. To mark the release of the collection, a unique art installation conceptualized and executed by the artist represents the ever-evolving ‘blue thread’ that stands at the heart of Blue Version, as iconic archival looks are reimagined for the future and are crafted as the pinnacle expression of the Trefoil brand.

Travelling from summit peaks and isolated trails to running tracks and marathon finishing lines, the latest Blue Version collection offers evocative nods to the late 1980s and early 1990s – at once an ode to, and recontextualization of, adidas Originals’ history.

Blue Version Spring/Summer 22 Collection

This season, Blue Version challenges conventions and confronts expectations as signature pieces are dramatically warped through elevated techniques. Sporting staples like shorts and tracksuits are transformed with breezy fabrics and delicate pleats, while the iconic tracksuit is reinvigorated as a recurring aesthetic motif. Similarly, building on the brand’s heritage and taking inspiration from vintage running base layers, a selection of pieces including a t-shirt, a robe, a pair of leggings, a pair of shorts, and a bra top is composed of a premium Waffle Cotton material and subverted through asymmetrical details.

Conceived as an evolutionary step in the Blue Version story, the collection is brought to life through a poignantly stripped back and unfiltered campaign shot by photographer Hanna Moon and styled by Alice Goddard. Aesthetic rawness lends an unfiltered edge to captivatingly personal moments as a recurring blue carpet leitmotif punctuates the campaign – linking image to image, collection to collection, idea to idea.

The Installation

The power and beauty of water is the inspiration behind the work created by Fink 22, brought to life through the repurposed techniques used by graffiti writers on the streets of major cities such as Berlin, Sao Paulo and New York.

The perceived lack of visible control is apparent through drips, runs and colours merging on the canvas bringing the destructive graffiti process to a fine art setting on canvas, while telling a story that represents the dynamic movement of water, whether flowing down a waterfall or the waves breaking on the shore.

Fink 22 said, “As an artist, I’m inspired by the world around me, with the graffitied streets of Berlin providing the idea to repurpose the humble fire extinguisher as a paintbrush”.

FINK 22

FINK 22 is a self-taught British abstract painter, muralist, and photographer. 

Renowned for his street art murals, FINK 22 has developed a unique and distinctive one-line drawing of a face that has been upscaled, filled with bright colours and topped with a sharp outline. These faces have brought colour and joy to communities across the world from London to Melbourne, Berlin to Bali as well as here in Dubai itself. 

As a studio practitioner, FINK 22 rebels against the crisp lines, yearning for drips, splatters and expressionistic mark-making. Here the freedom of a blank canvas is embraced, allowing the artist to experiment with tools and techniques to deliver dynamic works with the balance of colour, texture, and negative space. Inspiration comes from observing humanity, looking beyond the surface for a deeper connection that reveals the impact society has on its surrounding environment. 

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