STYLE
WORDS: VRITTI RASHI GOEL. IMAGE: VRITTI RASHI GOEL (AW19 SHOES, HOLDING IMAGE)ago, becoming more entrenched in
the annals of high fashion, I scoffed
at the thought of incorporating
sneakers into my personal style.
It was a trip to a store in the
heart of Tokyo’s hip Omotesando
neighbourhood that changed my
opinion. The brand, Japanese
heritage shoemaker Onitsuka
Tiger, presented to me sleek styles
that didn’t look like bricks on my
feet. The colours were as bright orS
omewhere between being
dressed by my mother as
a child and about 2015, I
stopped liking sneakers.
You’ll nd early photos of me in
colourful, happy clothes paired
with velcro-strap kicks – before
this combination was acceptable
for adults – until I learned I could
make my own decisions about my
wardrobe. Even as they began
showing up on runways a few years(Above) Onitsuka Tiger’s
first th-anniversary
collab with Tokyo
Fashion Award-winning
designer Takayuki
Chino; (Below & left)
Andrea Pompilio has
created an electric AW
collectionsubdued as I’d want, the stripes
down the side distinctive but not
too loud.
Onitsuka Tiger may have only
arrived in India in 2017, but it’s
been a part of pop culture for years- think back to a certain 2003
Quentin Tarantino lm: the Black
Mamba, in that all-yellow look? She
wore Onitsuka Tiger kicks, which
also happen to be an inspiration
for the brand’s recently appointed
Creative Director Andrea Pompilio - the Italian-born designer who’s
been collaborating with it for years,
creating capsule collections and
slowly introducing us to the idea of
clothing from the Japanese heritage
shoe brand.
While its roots lie in sportswear
(recap: it was founded in 1949 to
make athletic footwear, before
evolving into ASICS, and then
resurrected in 2002), Onitsuka
Tiger’s designs are meant to be
worn outside the gym, whether it’s
the shoes or the clothes. The recent
Autumn-Winter 2019 collection,
for example, looks like upscale
ski resortwear-meets-1990s rave
culture, made more fashion-friendly
through the use of matte and shiny
fabrics, and Pompilio’s trademark
impeccable cuts.
He brings a similar aesthetic
to the shoes – because there must
be shoes – contrasting impossibly
chunky, “almost ridiculous”
(his words) soles with the more
traditional styles cut close to the
feet. And yes, he’s also slipped
some of that signature yellow into
the collection.
To be even more visible to the
fashion-mongers of today, Onitsuka
Tiger’s tying up with names we
know well: A limited-edition
drop with Givenchy is among the
hottest collabs of 2019, while seven
award-winning Asian designers
are lending their excellent, eclectic
styles to capsule collections that
celebrate Onitsuka Tiger’s 70th
anniversary. Big, unexpected waves
for a brand that started out making
basketball shoes – and got me to be
pro-sneakers again.
GAME
THE C U LTFrom a collaboration with Givenchy to electric, rave-worthy drops,
Onitsuka Tiger’s definitely prowling into your closet this yearON