adidas Originals puts Stan Smith in focus with Nick Ross installation
adidas Originals is turning its attention back to the Stan Smith, including a collaboration with Stockholm-based designer Nick Ross, inaugurated on 7 October.
The company says preppy, tennis-inspired fashion is taking up more space heading into 2027, and sees the Stan Smith as a natural fit. The shoe was originally developed for the tennis court and has kept its look through the years, with a clean silhouette, perforated Three Stripes and a green heel tab. It has also long had ties to art and design, and has been reinterpreted by creatives around the world.
That link is the focus of the Ross collaboration. He has created an installation inspired by the shoe and by the idea of a classic form keeping its identity while taking on new expressions. It is built from one recurring unit in green-pigmented pine, a nod to the shoe’s green details. Repeated and combined, the unit forms pieces that can serve as furniture, storage, architecture or sculpture.
“Truly iconic objects last because they can be interpreted in new ways. The Stan Smith is one of those rare designs. Its identity is clear and established, while it keeps acquiring new meanings. I wanted to explore the same balance through a system where one and the same fixed element can keep taking on a new function and be perceived in new ways,” Ross said.
Born in Scotland and based in Stockholm, Ross works with furniture, objects, installations and exhibition design. Material, repetition and simplicity have run through his work since he founded his studio in 2014. This year he was named Designer of the Year at the Residence Stora Formpris, and he has worked with brands and design houses including Louis Vuitton and Rimowa.
