adidas Originals is renowned for supporting the next generation of designers, joining forces with the likes of Priya Ahluwalia and Daniëlle Cathari to create unique collaborative collections. At this season's LFWM shows, things were no different, as the label teamed up with the likes of Craig Green and Bethany Williams, whose new adidas sneaker debuted at her presentation at London's Garden Museum.
Discussing the collaboration with adidas, Williams explained it came about after having been asked to visit the company HQ in Germany to lead a series of workshops and host a talk about her work for the design team.
Eventually, this led to a partnership, with looks from her latest collection all finished with an all-white Supercourt sneaker, came courtesy of the new Home of Classics line. “Working with adidas at this time is really exciting, we are planning future projects and looking into sustainable avenues to work into designs, on both adidas side and for my own line,” she said. “We are both aligned in our vision and passion for sustainability in fashion, and finding creative ways to bring this together now and into the future.”
In the past, Bethany Williams has used her collections as a means of opening conversations around some of society’s biggest issues, including domestic abuse, homelessness, and sustainability. For her latest offering, the NEWGEN designer collaborated with a South London-based charity, named Spires, which work to aid disadvantaged people by offering food, clothing, showers, support, and healthcare.
“I have been inspired by the route that the street link service operates from Stretham to Brixton, which supports venerable women through the evening. Spires operates to help both men and women, however, they also operate a women’s only space, named The Butterfly Cafe to support women – which is an area of focus for this collection,” she says.
The SS20 offering itself featured fitted, tailored looks with hand-woven fabrics made from recycled tents in Italy, at a drug rehabilitation community. Elsewhere, prints made in collaboration with illustrator Giorgia Chiarion appeared throughout, which utilised images of the women of Adelaide House (a residential home for vulnerable women).
The concept of the show came after speaking to women of The WI and asking them what The Butterfly Cafe meant to them.“Their response was that they stand for Growth and Transformation, which is reflected in the name of the group and are present elements within the sessions”, she said. “I selected the Garden Museum for the location of this show as I feel like it’s a close physical representation of these elements, where beautiful and delicate flowers grown amongst the glass and concrete exterior of the museums architecture.”
