#shegotfit: Additional images of adidas PureBOOST X for espnW's We Tried It
Today marked the debut of my new column for espnW called We Tried It, in which I wear items from the fitness, athletic wear and athleisure space. Given that I love to stay active and always up trying new gear or sports, it's right up my alley. In the debut article, I try out the new adidas Running PureBOOST X - the first female-specific performance shoe from adidas. Since there's only room for two photos in the post, I figure I should share the rest of the shoot that was done for the piece. Check out the images below and let me know if you've tried out the PureBOOST X yet.
Credits:
Photos: Pierre Richardson
Sneakers: adidas PureBOOST X - courtesy of Finishline
Leggings: Mission I’m Possible by Fruition
Tee: UNIQLO hyperwarm long sleeve t-shirt
Bra: Under Armour
Sunglasses: Celine from Native Ken Eyewear
#shegotstyle: Elements of Personal Style with @nikelab x @sacaiofficial and @champssports
Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, a bit outcast when it comes to what generates likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?
Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, still a bit of an outcast when it comes to generating likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Growing up, I was always most happy when I was taking style risks. Within the risks, there are always a few elements that I take into account when selecting pieces and creating looks to the pieces that I select still fit into my overall signature look. The "athleisure" trends is something that was always organic to me, mixing skate shoes and sneakers with dresses, long before Vogue and Chanel followed suit. Sporty spice elements and comfort are necessary in all almost all of my ensembles. "High and low" dressing, wearing high fashion brands and more accessible labels, is now de rigueur. As Zara outfits and Nike sneakers are oft paired with Chanel bags and Celine glasses (guilty). Finally, I like special pieces and texture. The mark of an interesting outfit is always in the mix of textiles as wearing the same fabric head to toe, even in different colors and patterns, seems a bit safe. Adding a fur, leather or suede elements to say, neoprene or cotton adds dimension and interest that I love.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Keeping all these elements in mind, I was ecstatic when I heard that Japanese brand Sacai was collaborating with Nike Lab, Nike's most progressive and fashion forward label. Chitose Abe, Sacai's founder and designer, used to work for Comme des Garçons, under one of my idols - the legend Rei Kawakubo. Abe's designs are often made with interesting and unique textiles, incorporating cool details and plenty of movement. It's a much more progressive brand choice than other athletic wear collaborations as of late. The first iterations of collection caught my eye, but I didn't have a chance (or at the time, the $$$) to invest in a few pieces. Naturally, I was over the moon when a package from Nike Lab showed up on my doorstep a few weeks ago.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The packaging itself is special, as my jacket came in a large, cloth garment bag and hanger that was branded with the collaboration's logos (Nike always remembers these small touches). Inside was Abe's unique take on the infamous windrunner, Nike's marquee lightweight jacket. The hood and body of the jacket is completely covered in faux fur made from acrylic and polyester, while the arms made of ripstop fabric feature prominent Nike branding.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The actual shape of windrunner is different too, as it's loose fitting with a trapeze coat type of cut similar to the swinging jackets of the 1960's. There is a elastic cord with toggles along the bottom hem of the jacket that allows you to adjust the flare of the trapeze shape, but it's most fun to wear the jacket unbunched at the hem so it flounces as you walk (or spin - you definitely need to spin in this jacket). The loose fit coupled with the heavier weight of the faux fur means that when the jacket is worn open, it hangs off the shoulders, allowing for more movement, rather than a snug fit.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Styling the jacket, especially given the volt (neon lime green) and midnight blue colorway, was a bit of a challenge. I wanted the rest of the outfit to echo the three main elements of the Nike Lab x Sacai jacket - high fashion, sporty styling, and a textural melange. I decided to pair the bright jacket neutral colors and relatively basic silhouettes rendered in interesting fabrics. My top is a black Elizabeth and James crop top with a mesh insert between the bust. Since the jacket is so detailed and covered up, I wanted to show a little skin to balance it out and wear black so the colors popped against the top. The shorts are by Rick Owens and are made of cream silk with a drop crotch silhouette. They're simple, but interesting and not always the easiest to wear when you're thicker in the thigh department like me. Much like the top there is a sheer element as the shorts are somewhat see-thru and the length also allows me to not be so swallowed up by fabric - long, wide pants felt too heavy paired with the jacket. To add a little more interested and cover myself up a tad, I wore Pretty Polly tights under the shorts. They tie the top with the shorts as the tights are both black and sheer and give a bit of a graphic, streetwear element to the look.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The shoes are the Nike Roshe Run Print and are courtesy of the fine people at Champs Sports. The sneakers, like the rest of the outfit besides the jacket, are black and white with some visual interest thanks to the print. I was originally planned to wear black and white block heels, which also works for the look, but decided against it to show that even a short girl can wear such a voluminous piece like the windrunner without having to add extra inches. Since we shot in daytime on an overcast day, I kept my Celine sunglasses handy.
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
Personally, I love the jacket. It allows me to make a personal style statement without having to even open my mouth. It's impossible to be a bad mood when you wear the windrunner because it's so unique and equal parts utilitarian and ostentatious. Fashion should be fun, and personal style should make you feel happy, empowered and most importantly, like the very best version of yourself. After all, who doesn't want to look like an high fashion muppet? Grover wishes he could be this chic!
Photo by Pierre Richardson.
The jacket retails for $800 US but is unfortunately completely sold out on Nike.com. However there are a few popping up on eBay if you're so inclined. The shoes are available at Champs now for $80 US. More outfit images and the Polyvore shopping guide for the rest of my look is below, using a mix of exact and similar items. Thanks for reading and let me know how you would style the Nike Lab x Sacai windrunner or if you'd be daring enough to wear it yourself!
Hello, World!
All photos by Pierre Richardson.
shegotgame @ #ALLSTARTO - #SNKRSXPRESS Experience
All aboard the #SNKRSXPRESS! Nike Basketball always come up with some of the most inventive experiences and All-Star in Toronto is no exception. One of the most interesting activations is the #SNKRSXPRESS experience which is a tricked out Toronto streetcar featuring an interactive buying experience. You embark the train at 277 Queen Street West thanks to reservation on Nike.com/Toronto. Once you're inside you're issued a boarding pass, take a photo of your "game face" and check out all the product on display. There are all sorts of basketball-inspired touches like a basketball chandeliers and light fixtures, a table full of heat and even a shoe cleaning station courtesy of Jason Markk.
Next up, you board the car and get an assigned seat. Each seat is assigned an Nike Basketball NBA player - I had Draymond Green. Next, you put on a pair of headphones and watch an introduction video by the Raptors' own DeMar DeRozan on an iPad. DeMar breaks down the experience, which includes trivia games, curated Spotify playlists, a GameFace photo generator, and of course the option to buy shoes.
The shoes available for purchase show up on the SNKRS app right on the iPad. The items available will change throughout the weekend and include the latest heat from Nike Basketball as well as retros and re-releases. Once you make the purchases, you pick them up at your final stop on the #SNRKSXPRESS. The ride takes about 20 minutes and is a fun, immersive experience. There are plenty of fire kicks on display all the custom details - like the Nike branding, wood panelling and the complete overhaul of a Toronto staple - is really dope. If you get a chance to take a rid, you won't regret it! If not, be sure to check out the photo below and let me know what you'd cop if you had the chance.
Photos courtesy of Katherine Roy. Special thanks to Jordan and Nike Basketball.
shegotgame: Styling the Jordan I High and V Low "All-Star" Retros
Earlier today I had the opportunity to check out the opening of the brand new Jordan Brand flagship in downtown Toronto at - and called - 306 Yonge. After a tour of the space thanks to my "influencer" relationship with MJ's brand, I was lucky to receive some great gifts. The two I want to focus on are my two pairs of kicks - because it's gotta be the shoes. Both pairs are actually grade school (GS) specific line by Jordan Brand, that comes in extended GS sizing. While these two pairs are not a pack, they share the same colorway, pattern and shimmer.
The first pair are the Jordan I Retro High "All-Star" - colorway is wolf grey, metallic silver and white. There is a shimmer damask-style print on both uppers of each shoe. The Jordan wings logo is silver and embossed on the heel tab along with the stitched tonal Jumpman on the heel. The toe box and hell are more of a pale blue than a true wolf grey which mixes well with the textured upper. The US retail price for the Jordan I High Retro is $110.
The Jordan V Retro Low features the same style printed textile but it's all over the shoe. Black is secondary colour for the shoe instead of wolf grey, finished with an icy outsole and white midsole. There are hints of the wolf grey/pale blue color on the Jumpman branding of the shoe. The US retail price for the Jordan V Retro Low $140.
I'm generally not a girly-girl when it comes to sparkles, but the mix of a tonal, mostly neutral color palette against the patterned textile makes fore realFor today's tour and photoshoot, I brought along my frequent collaborator, photographer and friend extraordinaire Jennifer Toole. She and I are infamous in our little circle in that we turn everything into a photoshoot. So we took over the Jordan Store amongst the media preview and training (sorry y'all) to strike a few poses in my new kicks to give you an idea of how they look on foot. I'm sure I'll be shooting again in more than one outfit, but here's a taste before they release this Saturday.
- Photography: Jennifer Toole
- Hair color and styling: Lindsey Buro at Dat Salon
- Dress: Christopher Kane
- Footwear: Jordan Brand
- Nails: Lisa at Kim Nails Spa
shegotgame: #StyleSwish - UNDRCRWN MJ Crying Crewneck
#StyleSwish are various fashion finds that are both sporty and stylist approved.
Once in awhile in the vast depths of the internet, a meme explodes and becomes part of social media culture. The MJ crying face meme is now not just a mainstay when it comes to sports memes - we've seen the entire Clippers' roster crying, LeBron James on the court last NBA finals all sporting MJ's face. But now, it's become the universal struggle face photoshopped onto reaction photos with the quickness.
Leave it to sports lifestyle brand UNDRCRWN to take it to a new meta level with their MJ Crying crewneck which features the GOAT complete with tears and red eyes on a black sweater. For $50 you too can sport a piece of meme culture. The crewneck is certainly a more relevant and funnier alternative to the ugly Christmas sweaters this holiday season, cop your own here, available in S-XXL.
