Heritage and uniqueness come together, as ASICS and Vivienne Westwood come together to create a capsule collection that is decidedly very different from what ASICS’ usual line is. It is, in other words, marrying both technological expertise with high fashion taste to elevate several ASICS models into designer’s domain.
5 models are chosen for this capsule, but only 2 will be released globally as of now, from the likes of the GEL-MAI™ Knit MT and GEL KAYANO™ 5 OG. Let’s start with the GEL-MAI first.
The silhouette has often been a unique looking one, mainly noting the asymmetric trail lacing mechanism and an off-set ASICS logo on the heel portion of the shoe. Now, the GEL-MAI has been given a little bit of an upgrade with the use of the MT silhouette (read: knitted, mid-sock cut) and adopting the archive Squiggle print, first used in the Pirate Autumn-Winter 1981 debut catwalk collection. The purpose of employing such contrasting colours is to accentuate the technical design features of the shoe, of which there are aplenty, and the brand has successfully pulled it off without muddling the print nor overshadowing the silhouette. No structural changes have been made to the shoe, with the exception of the knit sock as the squiggle pattern is directly integrated during sewing, instead of getting painted on for a more long-lasting effect. Vivienne Westwood’s orb logo is also embroidered on the back of the shoe.
The GEL-KAYANO™ 5 OG goes down the same path roughly, however only applying the colour schemes informed by one of the original colourways of the Vivienne Westwood archive Squiggle print. Red and orange take centre stage, donning the entirety of the upper and the midsole, popped even more with hits of blue throughout the shoe. Vivienne Westwood’s logo is also present on the back of the shoe.
On asking about why the brand chose ASICS to work together with, Andreas Kronthaler, Vivienne Westwood’s Creative Director had this to say, “ASICS are brilliant technicians – known for their expertise, they are the best in their field.
We love the look of their trainers because they are form following function – which attracted us to this collaboration. We wanted to create something real. They are not just decoration or a fashion statement- they are functional. With this collaboration we wanted to bring together both.”
The GEL-MAI™ Knit MT and GEL KAYANO™ 5 OG retail for RM 829 and RM 729 respectively and will release on the 27th of April 2019 at vivienewestwood.com, ASICS website, or at Pavilion KL exclusively.
