Champion Athleticwear launched Champion Select, a line created exclusively for Urban Outfitters, in partnership with three directional designers curated by the Capsule Show. The collaboration brings to life a modern interpretation of the Champion brand as envisioned by three prominent independent fashion designers — Timo Weiland from New York, Craig Green from London and Wood Wood from Copenhagen each chosen for their unique design aesthetics. Champion Select is the latest designer collaboration by Champion, which has established itself among key fashion influencers and style trendsetters for its limited edition collaborations.
“We extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to all involved for their time in making this exclusive project possible”
The Champion Select collection includes elevated, fashion-forward active wear looks for men and women utilizing heritage Champion fabrications and branding. Each of the designers began their process by visiting the Champion archives for inspiration, and selecting their favorite fabrications to use for their capsule collections. The resulting looks are inspired by the designers’ own memories and interactions with the iconic brand whether it was wearing Champion as a youth or seeing classic imagery and advertisements from the past.
“For over thirty years, Champion has introduced creative and innovative designs for athletic wear, from performance to lifestyle, starting with the first sports bra and the iconic reverse weave hoodie,” said Ned Munroe, Chief Global Design Officer, Champion Athleticwear.
“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 Champion DNA, interpreted through the individual designer lens,” said Carla Mota, Design Director, Champion Athleticwear.
The Champion Select collection will be available January 26, 2015, in select Urban Outfitters stores in the United States and Canada, Space Ninety 8 in Brooklyn, as well as Urbanoutfitters.com. Consumers can follow the hashtag #ChampionSelect on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to see behind the scenes content of how the designers created their collections.
“We extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to all involved for their time in making this exclusive project possible,” said Urban Outfitters Chief Executive Officer Ted Marlow. “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 customers’ closets are concerned!”
“The Capsule Show has always been a forum where the world’s top retailers can meet the best designers out there. We’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to connect three of the world’s coolest designers with an iconic brand like Champion, and one of our favorite retailers, Urban Outfitters, in this unique collaboration,” says Edina Sultanik, one of the Capsule Show’s founders.
For more information on the Champion Select collection, follow #ChampionSelect for updates from each designer.
Champion Select lookbook courtesy of Urban Outfitters. Photographed by Devyn Galindo and featuring Luka Sabbat @ Request and Imaan Hamman @ DNA Models. Special thank you to Freddie Jenkins and the ABC Gym in Philadelphia, PA.
