Back for the second drop of the starred collaboration, ASOS and adidas Originals head North to unveil Collection 02 – and Wonderland lands in Manchester to take a closer look.
ROSALÍA’s “Berghain” blares at full volume as I make my way through the heritage halls of Manchester’s Victoria Baths. It’s my first time up North, and even though I’m here for an entirely different reason than the pounding beat suggests, what unfolds before my eyes feels plucked straight from the singer’s sonic universe. It’s chilling – a water palace, one of Britain’s most iconic public swimming pools, first opened in 1906. Towering ceilings. Original changing stalls painted blue. Beige-tiled walls. Old signs warning that the water’s six feet deep. A venue for the cool. No wonder ASOS and adidas Originals chose its storied walls as the setting for their next chapter.
After a sold-out, very successful debut, the British behemoth and the sportswear icon return with Collection 02 – a considered evolution steeped in Autumn/Winter’s polished, glam-laced atmosphere. Premium fabrics lead the charge (the leather jacket, particularly divine), joined by intricate beaded detailing across a sheer skirt-and-jacket set. Knitwear takes a playful turn through exaggerated collars, micro shorts and tactile jacquard bombers, while silky slips, padded shoulders and track dresses round out the line-up.
For the die-hards, the tracksuit gets a revival – adidas’ signature bottoms reappear in fresh pairings: plum and green, orange and black, brown and cream, with a zesty lime green teamed with London sky grey. Sportswear staples are elevated too: metallic and snakeskin trainers, rugby shirts reworked in refined knits, and funnel necks – fashion’s most underrated power move. Try to name someone who doesn’t look instantly cooler behind a mouth-covering collar. I’ll wait.
And then there’s the leather and suede – rich, real, a tad sporty – tying the story back to its core with an after-dark sensuality that lingered through the night. Run, don’t walk. Collection 02 won’t be hanging around for long.
Words – Sofia Ferreira
