It was only a month ago when Yara Shahidi and Adidas Originals announced that they’d be teaming up for a two-part ReCreation collection — inspired by the actress’s Iranian and African American heritage. Now, after the wildly successful first installation, the second one is here and it’s even more fabulous than the last.
“I have to say this is a more expansive collection,” Shahidi tells ESSENCE. “With drop one we were able to have those two track suits and then the one shoe, but this part of the collection has a lot more pieces and is also perfect for summer.” Shahidi says that while there will still be the festive patterns and intricate details that existed with drop one, this one is much more inclusive. “It was really important for this collection to be unisex,” Shahidi says. “I want anyone wearing to feel like they can mix and match the pieces and enjoy the different silhouettes.”
It’s much more reflective of Shahidi’s fashion journey. “I’ve always been a kid that was given a lot of permission to explore with fashion,” she says. “When I was a little I actually only mostly shopped in the boys section. Then, I went through a phase in which I refused to wear any form of pants, only skirts. My parents definitely gave me the range and freedom to seek whatever I wanted out of fashion, out. That resonated with me and also gave me the realization that it was probably going to change time and time again. That said, I wanted this collection to be versatile.”
And while the last rollout was heavily dependent on celebrities, this one was more a labor of family love. “It was a family affair,” Shahidi says. “It was literally me and then my poor brothers and I’d be on with the team from Germany trying things on. I’d ask my brother to dip out of virtual class and try on this or that tracksuit. It was a family affair through and through. What’s funny is that both myself, my mother and my middle brother say that we have very similar closets, so oftentimes we do a lot of sharing and I think our tracksuit obsession came from each other right.”
But Shahidi’s evolving style isn’t something that she’s channeled alone. “Myself and my creative director, Jason Bolden, we’ve been working together for years,” she says. “I’ve talked about being an age-forward recently and so much of it just stems from what makes me comfortable. Oftentimes when you see me on red carpets or in these public spaces, and it’s me traveling through the world as a new 21 year old. I’m always in new situations that are sometimes a little jarring or scary so the last thing I want to think about is being uncomfortable. My fashion choice is really what makes me feel the most grounded in this moment.”
Shop the collection beginning Wednesday, June 23 on Adidas.com.
