Onitsuka Tiger Brand Ambassador Willow Smith
Source: OnitsukaTiger × Willow Smith | Onitsuka Tiger United States
The Fresh Prince has an Air Jordan Sneaker, the Retro 5. The Fresh Prince is not Will Smith. Will Smith is a business person and an entertainer. Last year a strange collaboration took place and I questioned why Will Smith was appearing in an ASICS video while also being a Jordan Brand ambassador:
Onitsuka Tiger’s Global Collaboration Film featuring Will Smith is Strange on Every Level
I then realized that Will Smith, the business person, had a shared interest in ASICS as a tech company. ASICS via its Ventures arm joined forces to build a bridge from Japan to the US and find valuable assets to invest and grow.
What does this have to do with Willow Smith? Nothing at all. Willow is a versatile ambassador for the brand who brings name recognition and a quirky high end fashion sense to ASICS. The result in the collaborative effort is a limited collection that caters to the customer looking for technical fashion as opposed to a heritage brand collaboration.
Willow x ASICS delivers an outdoor, rugged look that may be built for fashion, but actually represents a form of sport for the singer/actor. There is history of Willow hiking the hills outside of LA, but in those images where she is seen, she sports a Nike Swoosh along the same lines as her dad. I could shift this discussion into an analysis of influencers and the fact that Onitsuka Tiger has partnered with two international personalities who have indirect ties to Nike and Jordan Brand, but instead I’ll focus on a few shots of the collection, which is visually stunning.
The hues aren’t garish or loud. The muted desert based side of the collection arrives in hues of khaki and olive, while the white themed collection has the flair of a late 90s early 00s Aaliyah vibe. The collection is asexual, while the white sweater appears as a women’s option. Onitsuka isn’t really a staple in urban wear, so I wouldn’t expect this collection to have any crossover appeal and the pricing structure is akin to technical streetwear in the range of White Mountaineering or Stone Island.
“I immediately connected with Onitsuka Tiger’s vision for their new campaign. I loved that we were able to align both of our energies and create something that promotes a positive existence in this world. I’m excited for the future of the brand.”
Items in the collection include the
Dentigre Boot
Dentigre LS
WS Jacket and WS Coat
WS Knit Top
The collection drops on 8-1-2020.