Pioneering fashion filmmakers and style connoisseurs, SHOWstudio teamed up with talented designer Gary Aspden to launch adidas Originals x SPEZIAL ­– the ethereal film by Nick Grithiths and &SON to coincide with Aspden’s A/W2015 Spezial collection. The film draws inspiration from the designer’s own experiences of the brand, and centers around the delicate singer songwriter, Bill Ryder Jones. Shot on location in Innsbruck and Merseyside, the two places have strong sporting and cultural connections to Adidas’ routes. Madame Soho was invited along to the event to soak up the atmosphere.

The launch party, which was held in a warehouse space in Shoreditch, was jam-packed with iconic figures from the worlds of fashion and music. Dazed and Confused‘s co-founder Jefferson Hack, singer Sharleen Spiteri, Primal Scream front man Bobby Gillespie and Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher all came out to support Aspden for the launch of his A/W15 Spezial collection.

Aspden, a long time aficionado of adidas trainers, youth cultures, style and music has worked for the brand since the late 90s. Since then he has initiated a string of innovative projects including the global launch of adidas Originals and the European launch of Y3, and has collaborated with everyone from A Bathing Ape to acclaimed Japanese designer Kazuki.

We caught up with the designer and asked him about the film: ‘Every season we produce a Spezial film to support the range and for this season we wanted to centre it around two people who do what they do for the love of doing it. There were parallels and a commonality between the ski jumper and Bill Ryder-Jones. Both are incredibly talented and skilled but aren’t putting themselves out there primarily for fame or money. There is a purity in their motivations which I personally believe deserves to be celebrated. So much of what (and how) we communicate with Spezial is about its tonality so the launch event needed to provide an appropriate platform for that. After the screening of the film, Cherrystones played a DJ set to accompany and set the tone for Bill’s live performance. Getting Bill to play a live and virtually acoustic set in that environment felt oppositional to the formulaic Hip Hop beats meet hipster fashion parties that have become so common in the sportswear industry. Bill’s music is incredibly fragile and beautiful but is not party music, so it was pleasing that the audience there reacted so positively to it.’

Photos in order from top to bottom: Gary Aspden, Bill Ryder-Jones, Jefferson Hack, Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillspie, John Simm & Kate Magowan

Words by Ray Kinsella Photos by Ki Price

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