Smiley says Ellesse collaboration will be counter-culture celebration

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 10, 2019

Smiley announced a few months ago that one of its brand collaborations for SS20 would be Ellesse and it shared further details of that this week with news that the capsule collection will offer staple styles for men and women “that fuse Ellesse’s sportswear designs with Smiley’s counter-culture heritage.”

The collection celebrates “each brand's history within music sub-cultures and their influence on the global party scenes to create a collection that utilises traditional bold colourways synonymous with decades of youth culture,” we’re told.

It mixes the colourful approach and “track-ready tailoring” of Ellesse heritage, “re-energised with innovative fabrics, colours, and silhouettes that nod to the vibrant spirit of Smiley.”

In practice, that means a range of fabrics such as reflective 4M, PVC and mesh are introduced throughout the collection, while a colour palette of hot pink, sunshine yellow, orange, white and black are highlighted accents across tracksuits, boob tubes and cycling shorts.

There are 21 pieces for women and a smaller capsule collection for men with hero pieces including a transparent poncho, iridescent shell suit and a range of co-ords for both sexes. Accessories include belt bags, caps, and bucket hats. And the branding is all about a dual logo, which uses Ellesse’s ‘semi pala’ shape with the original Smiley face.

Smiley CEO Nicolas Loufrani said Ellesse is a “like-minded brand that shares our ethos for creativity and aims to put a smile back into the active sports market. Our teams have created a cool collection, that not only taps into both brands’ heritage, but also incorporates a range of technical fabrics and sporty styles that continues to strengthen Smiley’s position in the athleisure market.”