adicolor chinatown

The web has been a-buzz about adidas little ’secret showroom’ project
off Canal Street. We decided to pop down and see what it was all about.
Not an easy task. First of all we had to find the right guy on Canal
Street. The problem is that Canal Street is full of dodgy fellas ready to lead you inside buildings
to secret stores selling counterfeit bags and leather goods. ‘Inspired’
by all this adidas has a man on Canal Street too. You have to look out
for him - and when you find him, you wonder if he’s just another thug.
Luckily he nodded his head and waggled his finger for me to come.

We snaked through a Chinese shopping hall, someone told my guy to ‘fuck
off’ in a not too kind way. My guy just smiled, as he waddled his body
which was as wide as it was tall. Then we were out back, across the
street and down the steps. I worried - had he heard me. Where was he
taking me? Was this the right guy?

And then he brought me to a door, deep in the basement of a building in
downtown New York. Inside a guy met me with a smile and explained the
concept - a showroom of limited edition sneakers and clothing from
adidas under the ‘adicolor’ label. Designs by Cey Adams, Toy2R, Emilio
Pucci, Crooked Tongues and Claude Closky. Nothing was for sale.

In a smucky small room with velvet drapes a DVD played showing the
collaborators at work. We thought that the project would be up it arse,
but it smacked of love, attention, humor and authenticity.