MEET THE ARTISTS The ASICS head team works to make each new release a collaborative effort

Launched during Paris Fashion Week in unison with Fête de la Musique, Asics SportStyle’s most recent drop turned the heads of fashionistas and sneaker enthusiasts from all over.

“Our mission is to draw out what each other has and to propose new creative ideas to the world together,” said the company’s design and product development team.
I asked them what their sole objective was in giving upcoming brands and designers a bigger platform to showcase their creativity, like in their latest collection.
“We do not measure things by the scale of the brand,” they replied, explaining that they continue to engage in these joint releases in constant search for partners, so as to produce collaborative works that stem from feeding off each other’s creative ideas. By doing so, Asics hopes to expand possibilities in new creations and to give more excitement to the customers.

ASICS PFW Pop Up Display

The brand has had a long history of collaborating with noteworthy creatives. Some of its most successful releases were a result of its collaboration with A.P.C., Vivienne Westwood, and JJJJound. A few months ago, the brand also dropped collections fused with brands Comme des Garçons and (di)vision, the latter even making noise at its viral Copenhagen Fashion Week “Dressed for Disaster” show.

Vivienne Westwood

To be honest, though I’ve known about the sportswear brand for quite a while now, I’ve only known about its sportstyle division as of late. It seems that its archived designs fit right into today’s sneaker trends and, just as it should, the brand has worked quickly to revamp decades-old styles, taking them to new heights.

As the fashion industry is fiercely, even brutally competitive, with trends coming and going, and new brands constantly rising—and possibly, falling—it is essential to truly understand the market and what the customer wants. The Asics team’s design process begins with exactly that and afterwards, they, and I quote, “come up with a design concept that fits the occasion, and sublimates the design into something even better.”

To be able to provide utmost customer satisfaction, all branches of the brand collective come together and help out in creating the best designs possible. Finally, in the finishing stages, the team determines the color palette that sets the tone for each release. This allows them to ensure overall cohesion and proper creative direction with every drop.

When asked how the Asics brand stands out against others, the head team enlightened me about three main points: 1) SportStyle sneakers bringing back past shoe designs from the Asics catalog for various sports and redeveloping them in line with current trends, 2) the advantage of practicing Japanese craftsmanship, and 3) “Kaizen,” or relentless innovation.

With all three tying together, I began to finally understand what exactly makes the 74-year-old sporting goods company so special. How it has managed to stay relevant since the birth of the brand in 1949 is something they seem to execute effortlessly. The answer for every sneaker demand, as it turns out, quite literally lies right under their noses—just in the archives and past releases.

At the core of it all, the principal mission is to promote mind-body connection, highlighting the brand belief in the positive benefits of physical activity in creating a strong body and a healthy mind. By intending for a somewhat meditative experience with movement, Asics continues to create in alignment with its company philosophy, “Sound Mind, Sound Body.”

“We would like to support to uplift people’s minds, inspire movement through cultural connections, and empower all to be comfortable in being themselves,” said the team, highlighting the desired impact the Japanese lifestyle sub-brand aims to have on its wearers. “We always create our sneakers, campaigns, and our events based on these thoughts.”

Having gotten a glimpse into the minds behind some of the latest sneaker trends, just as having immersed myself in their creative space, has sparked within me great respect for the brand. Asics’ reach of collaborators spreads across a vast array of tiers and aesthetics, countries and cultures, maintaining consistent growth of the brand’s artistic capacity. The team’s willingness to participate in joint collections allows their designs to explore with no bounds, and thus create products that are unique.

To cap off the interview, I asked the team what people could expect next. Without budging even just the slightest, they simply responded with, “[We] can’t share all the details, but there are many exciting plans in the works! We will try our best to entertain you. Please stay tuned for our updates.”
Follow @asics_sportstyle_ph on Instagram for updates.www.asics.com.ph