Champion has partnered with the Capsule Show to create Champion Select, a new collection that will be sold exclusively at select Urban Outfitters stores and online later this month.
Champion Select tasked three up-and-coming designers — New York’s Timo Weiland, London’s Craig Green and Copenhagen’s Wood Wood — to offer a modern interpretation of the Champion brand. The special edition line, which is for men and women, will be unveiled during the Capsule show in New York next week.
Champion Select uses the brand’s heritage fabrications and branding to offer elevated, fashion-forward, active-inspired looks. Each designer visited the Champion archives for inspiration and chose their favorite fabrics to use in the capsule. They were also inspired by their own personal associations with the brand over the years.
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“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with three of the hottest designers from around the world to create these limited-edition pieces that embrace the Champion DNA while interpreted through the individual designer lens,” said Carla Mota, Champion brand design director.
She said the organizers of the Capsule show brought the idea to Champion and they worked together to pick the designers. “We selected three independent designers based on their unique aesthetic,” Mota said.
Craig Green, whom she called the current “It” boy of London, “is pretty avant-garde with a minimalistic aesthetic. His looks are almost more like sculpture,” she said.
Wood Wood’s background is “hip-hop street culture,” she said, while Weiland’s offering is “more tailored, and references the music scene of the Sixties.” Weiland produced a men’s bomber with athletic detailing and a workwear feel that she especially liked.
Prices include a men’s jacket from Timo Weiland for $109, pants for $89 and a hoodie for $69, while a women’s jacket is $129, a dress is $119 and a skort is $79. Wood Wood’s men’s jacket is $89, a fleece is $69, a women’s dress is $119, a cropped T is $59 and a bra top is $49. Craig Green’s selection includes a men’s sweatshirt for $69, men’s shorts for $79 and a women’s dress for $119.
Champion Select will be sold beginning Jan. 26 at Urban Outfitters stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as Space Ninety 8 in Brooklyn and on the retailers’ Web site. Wood Wood will also be selling it exclusively in its stores in Europe.
Ted Marlow, chief executive officer of Urban Outfitters, said: “No doubt we have ended up with unique interpretations that will be appreciated long after the current fashion moment. Our crew enjoyed working with the creative teams at Champion, Wood Wood, Craig Green and Timo Weiland to develop the collection. With the importance of active sportswear in today’s wardrobe, working with an iconic athletic brand such as Champion and the design teams served up by Capsule couldn’t have come at a better time as far as our customer’s closets are concerned.”
Moto said Champion always seeks to innovate and “look for unique ways to evolve.” Other collaborations include a successful multiseason capsule with Todd Snyder. “We’ve been superinspired by this and it’s something we will want to revisit.”