Sneakers collabs are everywhere right now. Name any brand – be it a designer fashion house, streetwear label or athletic apparel – and you can bet there’s a newly launched sneaker collaboration or one in the works.
Just recently, ASICS Sportstyle has revealed a special collaboration with not one, not three, but 30 emerging artists in Southeast Asia to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its GEL-LYTE™ III kicks. Launched in tandem with the release of two new colourways of the iconic sneaker, the campaign highlights the timelessness of the GEL-LYTE™ III silhouette while giving it a fresh twist for modern sneakerheads and fans of the brand.
The 30 creative, up-and-coming mavens were selected from across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to reinterpret the sneakers by incorporating elements of their respective artistic disciplines.
Some of the distinguished local names include fashion designer Cassey Gan, makeup artist Shiyo Joo, food stylist and photographer Trisha Toh and graffiti artist Kenji Chai.
Discover how these talented Malaysian creatives put a spin on the GEL-LYTE™ III in the gallery below.
Fashion designer Cassey Gan
“The theme for these ASICS GEL-LYTE III shoes is ‘Rain or Shine.’ As the name suggests, come rain or shine, life goes on and everyone should make the most out of it with optimism. I designed the shoes by sticking pieces of the prints and painting certain parts to give a textural difference.”
Graffiti artist and illustrator Cloakwork
“Known for my work in street art, I explored the form of graffiti and illustration with dynamism and movement. My work is a clear representation of myself: bold, daring and fearless. I always remind myself to give back to the streets by making plain concrete more vibrant with my graffiti. That will be my legacy.”
Designer and stylist Eleanor Lim
“Using the same concept of “free spirit”, I strongly believe in being given the freedom to create, to let my strokes tell stories. The design embodies those strokes, full of colours and varying shapes. It’s also meant to resemble paint splatters, similar to how an artist's apron would look like after a day at their studio, evidence that they had been painting the entire day.”
Accessories and home decor designer Francisca Turner
“I drew inspiration from traditional ethnic textiles that are rich in heritage and history made by local artisans in Asia and turned it into a contemporary style shoe design with a subtle hint of a masculine touch.”
Photographer and stationary enthusiast Joy Chong
“My ASICS GEL-LYTE™III design takes inspiration from my love of journaling and combines it with abstract brush strokes and sprays in pastel colours. I decided to imitate the organic rips of my washi tape and the natural strokes of a paint brush to finish this piece.”
Graffiti artist Kenji Chai
“For my ASICS GEL-LYTE™ III shoe design, I drew inspiration from my signature art Chaigo by infusing its colours onto the shoe and illustrating him in a samurai suit for the sockliner.”
Makeup artist Shiyo Joo
“As a renowned makeup artist, I believe creativity has no limits. For this shoe design, I drew inspiration from my work by applying the art of makeup (usually drawn on faces) onto shoes for the very first time by using eyeliner, lipstick and eyeshadow.”
Food stylist and photographer Trisha Toh
“In my design for this collaboration, I’ve thought of how I could break the cycle of food waste which coincides with my general philosophy of using what I have around me to the best of its capabilities and embracing imperfections, as there is beauty in everything. Going slightly against the grain, I chose the process of stitching/gluing dehydrated excess fruits to become fruit leathers and dye using colours deriving from natural elements such as turmeric. Although this design is unconventional, like the GEL-LYTE™ III, it’s the constant experimentation and a bit of rule-breaking that would make this overall project fun. At the end of the day, who says we can’t play with food?”
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The GEL-LYTE III 30th Anniversary sneakers are available in green and purple colourways for men at ASICS stores. For more information, log on to the official website here. Follow ASICS on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.
Photos courtesy of ASICS Sportstyle