There’s a long tradition of multi-national sneaker manufacturers collaborating with artists as a way of appealing to youth markets. Of the major brands, however, adidas seems to be more lenient with how creative minds interpret their corporate identity. It takes a talented artist or designer to produce an artwork that is both a personal expression and still make it reflect a brand’s characteristics. Vancouver-based artist Chairman Ting is not only a talented artist, he’s also a keen cyclist, and has been lucky enough to hook up with adidas on a recent adicolor project.
Working on a frame supplied by Single Bikes, also from Vancouver, Ting transformed a relatively generic fixed gear into a work of art that is unmistakably characteristic of adidas. Incorporating the blue and white of adidas and fine linework, Ting has produced ‘le vélo à trois bandes’.
There was a Kalavinka x adidas frame that was spotted at the Tokyo Cycle Messenger World Championships in 2009, and my impression of Chairman Ting’s version is that this is very much the ‘street’ edition. While much looser in form, it is just as successful, even just for attracting sneaker freakers to cycling.
Many thanks to Chairman Ting and Osler Zoo Photography for the images, head over to their website for more detail shots.
PS: I’d like to welcome Deus CYCLEWORKS as our latest advertiser. Deus Ex Machina are legendary for the crafty customization of motorcycles, did you also know that they can perform similar magic on bicycles? Whether it’s a restoration of a classic Italian stallion or a completely new bike, Piero and the handsome staff at Deus Cycleworks can make your velo fantasies a reality.
