In Pictures: END x Adidas SPZL’s ‘By the Sea’ collaboration collection marking 10th anniversary of cult line
The first collaboration between END and Adidas SPZL, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, launches on the contemporary retailer’s website and in its London, Manchester, Glasgow and Milan flagship stores today, 9 August.
It’s an 11-piece collection called ‘By the Sea’, shot on location in the North East in celebration of END’s roots, which exclusively went on sale in the retailer’s Newcastle store last week ahead of today’s roll-out.
Adidas SPZL is the brainchild of brand consultant, designer and curator, Gary Aspden, a line he first created in 2014 taking a deep dive into the Adidas archives to recreate – and re-master - some truly ‘special’ pieces.
Celebrating the three stripe legacy with a classic take on archival SPZL silhouettes from the past decade, the END collaboration features subtle design cues that play with a vintage Adidas DNA and sportswear aesthetic, with co-branding "marking a momentous occasion in END’s collaborative history".
The ‘Moscrop 2’ SPZL sneaker returns in a sandy colourway this time round, complete with its trademark Cordura uppers and pigskin suede overlays. An amalgamation of two archival adidas sneakers, the Moscrop 2 SPZL’s lightweight uppers were designed with cues taken from the Adidas ‘Raider’, while the shoe’s rugged two-layered sole unit was plucked from the Argentinian-made Adidas ‘Infinity’ - complete with its trademark Dellinger Web Sole.
Another fan favourite, the ‘Wilsy’ SPZL returns in a white and green colour palette, with nubuck uppers that are punctuated with tonal mesh panels, "offering a vintage sportswear aesthetic through a contemporary lens".
Completing the trio of footwear silhouettes, END and Adidas SPZL’s take on the ‘Samba Deco’ SPZL presents an understated update to a definitive sneaker. Rich navy blue pigskin suede covers the model, and it comes complete with Samba Deco SPZL’s trademark stitched ‘T-Toe’.
END and SPZL’s ‘By The Sea’ apparel selection features seven pieces from the SPZL archives making a return. A key piece is the ‘Calavadella Jacket’ in a vibrant green, recycled Polyester fabric. Details include a removable hood, four bellow pockets and a drawstring waist.
Nodding to SPZL’s collaborative past, the ‘Track Top’ and ‘Track Pant’ in a cardboard brown colourway "further entrenches the collection in retro sporting sensibilities". Both pieces feature tonal three stripes and woven brand patches.
There’s also two T-shirts – including one with the classic SPZL ‘Wireframe Logo’, a ‘Meanwood Polo Shirt’, and a bucket hat in the same shade of green as the Calavadella Jacket – adding a touch of 90s nostalgia to the mix.
Gary Aspden said: "With any collaborations we do with Adidas SPZL there needs to be a good reason for them to exist. They are often underpinned by strong existing relationships and this collaboration with END most definitely has that. Given the level of support that END have loyally shown to the SPZL range since the very beginning it felt right to finally acknowledge that with a product pack as part of the SPZL tenth anniversary celebrations.
"END brought their ‘By the Sea’ story/concept to us and we gave them potential options to work with on a selection of archival SPZL silhouettes from over the past decade. Once they made their product choices we worked collaboratively with discussions at every stage of the design process.”
