adidas and Kanye West Take Their Partnership to New Heights

Yesterday, adidas and Kanye West made history with the launch of adidas + KANYE WEST, a YEEZY branded entity creating footwear, apparel and accessories for all genders across street and sport.

Recognising the influence, success and global brand power that began almost two years ago with YEEZY for adidas Originals, the unprecedented new alliance makes history as the most significant partnership ever created between a non-athlete and an athletic brand. It will redefine the future, uniting adidas’ technical, innovative expertise and capabilities with the visionary imagination of West.

Together with Kanye West, a dedicated adidas team will lead the development and creation of all YEEZY products. The team will manage and oversee the collaboration to assure its continued success globally. The expansion plan includes retail stores that will serve as distinct hubs for adidas and West developed YEEZY product. Further, adidas + KANYE WEST will extend beyond its current lifestyle focus, with the introduction of performance-intended designs, consequently offering options for both sport and street.

We can’t wait to see the next YEEZY products that adidas and Kanye will create!

Introducing the Billionaire Boys Club Palm Tree Pack by adidas Originals = Pharrell Williams

adidas and the fashion icon Pharrell Williams team up with Billionaire Boys Club to reimagine an iconic piece of modern footwear—the Stan Smith—in full-color, summer-ready palm-tree patterns. Combining the signature playfulness of Billionaire Boys Club with the personality of Pharrell, the Palm Tree pack is the first of its kind to feature an accompanying apparel element, allowing Stan Smith fans to rock a fresh, coordinated look all summer long.

Over the past decade, Billionaire Boys Club has revolutionized streetwear. Last November, a first glimpse of the adidas x Billionaire Boys Club Stan Smiths caused a stir on the Internet, teasing a relaunch of the original diamond-and-dollar-sign motif. Now the collaboration is back and more fully fledged than ever, including a matching track top, T-shirt, tank, and shorts.

Ever so slightly nostalgic, the reimagined Stan Smiths feature an all-over screenprint of a palm-tree pattern inspired by an early ICE CREAM shoe. The print, available in vivid green and orange-red, is emblazoned on soft Nappa leather. (Red pairs feature a color-coordinated frosted red midsole.) Each style comes complete with iconic Billionaire Boys Club branding, like the Astronaut tongue label and “B” logo on heel tab.

The stylish sense of throwback cool is heightened with apparel printed in matching palm patterns. The track top is an easy summer zip-up jacket in green French terry with white palm prints and contrasting flocked black “B” logo. The cotton jersey tee incorporates the palm in subtler touches along its three-stripe motif and on its front patch pocket with embroidered black trefoil detail. The singlet features a green all-over palm print on a white tank with the iconic Billionaire Boys Club astronaut logo front and center. Finally, the French terry shorts complete the look, offering an all-over white-on-green print with flocked “B” logo and embroidered trefoil motif.

The adidas Originals = PHARRELL WILLIAMS Billionaire Boys Club Palm Tree pack is available from 10am on Saturday the 16^th of July, 2016, at www.adidas.co.za.

Introducing the NikeCourt x Liberty ‘Not Your Garden Variety’ Collection

Nike Sportswear collaborated with Liberty on a collection dressed in unique floral textiles perfect for any season.

The ‘Not Your Garden Variety’ collection features an exclusive floral print, Dawn Meadow, which highlights popular wildflowers like Wood Anemone, Stitchwort, London Pride and Cornus Sanguinea. 

The hand-painted floral print was inspired by botanical drawings from the Liberty archive and finds itself embellishing three classic Nike silhouettes, the Nike Benassi Slide, Nike Roshe and Nike Air Max 1 Ultra.

The NikeCourt x Liberty ‘Not Your Garden Variety’ collection is now available at selected retailers.

Competition: Woodford Reserve – The Handcrafted American Whiskey

Woodford Reserve is a Kentucky straight bourbon with a reputation as a solidly exceptional whiskey.

Crafted at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, Kentucky’s oldest, smallest and slowest working distillery, circa 1812, It is also the only distillery in Kentucky today making bourbon using copper pot stills, the traditional method of distillation.

Tasting Notes:

• Colour: Clean, brilliant honey amber.
• Aroma: Heavy with rich dried fruit, hints of mint and oranges covered with a dusting of cocoa. Faint vanilla and tobacco spice.
• Taste: Rich, chewy, rounded and smooth, with complex citrus, cinnamon and cocoa. Toffee, caramel, chocolate and spice notes abound.
• Finish: Silky smooth, almost creamy at rst with a long, warm satisfying tail.

The mashbill for Woodford Reserve features a high percentage of rye: 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt. Unusual also for being triple distilled and having the lowest proof upon entering the barrel where it matures. A MUST-HAVE Kentucky bourbon. Makes a wonderful drink, on the rocks or in a cocktail!

We are giving away a bottle of Woodford Reserve to one lucky reader! See below for more details on how you can win the bottle:

How to enter:

You can enter on either Twitter or Facebook or by signing up to the Swag Craze newsletter.

On Twitter

• Follow Swag Craze
• Copy and paste the link of the article using the following hashtag #WoodfordReserve

On Facebook

• Like the Swag Craze Page
• Copy and paste the link of this article using the following hashtag #WoodfordReserve

Swag Craze Newsletter

• Sign up to the Swag Craze newsletter.

Please note, it is vital that you use the #hashtag so that we can track down your entry. When the competition is done running, we will randomly draw the winner from all the entries and the winner will be contacted through the platform where the winning entry came from.

Competition is only open to South African readers.

Introducing the 5620 Pouch Pant by G-Star

20 years after releasing the world’s first 3D denim, G-Star introduces a new update on the iconic 3D style, the 5620 Pouch Pant for women.

G-Star’s Pouch pant is a playful approach to innovation: with a front pocket and a cool, slouchy fit that proves function doesn’t have to sacrifice style. The hands-free central pocket offers easy access and convenience, carrying things that would normally tie up the hands. The thinking behind the updated style is rooted in G-Star’s work wear philosophy of “liberating the hands of the worker”. The Pouch pant gives the green light to women to go hands-free, essentially eliminate the need for a handbag everywhere you go.

The Pouch pant is a must-have piece this season and also comes in a short version. It is available in a range of washes, from white to raw to Japanese selvedge denim.




The G-Star 5620 Pouch pant is available in-store and online.

First Look: PUMA x Trapstar ‘White Noise’

London- based Trapstar has collaborated with PUMA on a collection called ‘white noise’. The collection is a remix of Trapstar’s vision of fashion reinterpreted with iconic silhouettes.

For the teaser drop, PUMA and Trapstar collaboratively reworked the classic PUMA Disc. The PUMA Disc features the Trapstar signature ‘white noise’ graphic treatment all over the PUMA silhouette making this iteration an ultimate feature looking ahead of the main collection.

The PUMA x Trapstar Disc Blaze is available at PUMA Select Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Introducing The Limited Edition Navitimer SWISS Boeing 777 Timepiece

To mark the arrival of the new SWISS fleet flagship, Breitling is producing an exclusive version of its iconic Navitimer watch. In the special edition, which will be strictly limited to just 777 examples, the stainless-steel case will be combined with a black dial and a red second hand with a small aircraft at its tip. The exclusive Navitimer SWISS Boeing 777 Limited Edition will only be sold aboard SWISS flights at a price of CHF 7,077 (approximately R112 000,00 – subject to exchange rate fluctuations).

Danica Helfrich, Head of SWISS South Africa states that while the Johannesburg-Zurich route is not services by the Boeing 777 fleet as yet, South African’s will still have the opportunity to purchase one of these iconic limited edition timepieces. “SWISS offers direct flights between Johannesburg and Zurich, and provides one of the best regional hubs in Europe. Many of the international routes on to major destinations such as New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Tel Aviv, are serviced by the SWISS 777 fleet, and on these flights, the Navitimer SWISS Boeing 777 Limited Edition will be available for purchase. Those wishing to purchase the timepiece will need to order it online before departure at www.swiss-breitling.com” 

Breitling became SWISS’s “Official On-Board Timekeeper” this year. As such, the company will have a strong presence on all SWISS flights, including those of its new fleet flagship, the Boeing 777-300ER. 

SWISS and Breitling share a passion for aviation, precision, and top Swiss quality.

First Look: Zando.co.za Winter 2016 Collection - Fall For Winter

Zando.co.za has officially launched their high winter collection - Fall For Winter, where style meets architectural design.  This winter 2016 Zando.co.za enthuses design with a militant inspired edge, specifically curated to bring out the bold and celebrate the cold.  Winter 16’s absolute fashion focus will leave you feeling polished and ready for runway battle. Playful in nature and bundled with layered colourways – expect rolled necks, detailed ankle boots or eye catching prints and statement sleeves. Bold maximalist apparel and voluminous elegance are the flavours for this winter’s spell.

In complete contrast to Free Fall’in, Fall for Winter ’16 relies heavily on the natural architectural balance provided by the shoot landscape. Strong lines create a geometric distinction between illustrious rolling hills and linear form.

Nothing says iconic insignia like a cosy sweater and a classic fedora with a muted yet monochromatic palette. Fall for Winter ’16 perfectly pairs with a seductive knee high heel, tasselled ankle boot or athletic sneak, depending on the style best suited for your style needs. Head over to www.zando.co.za to shop these striking pieces!

First Look: Nike Air Jordan 9 Low ‘Pantone’

The Air Jordan 9 Low ‘Pantone’ is inspired by the University of North Carolina (Michael Jordan’s alma mater).

The sneaker features a full leather university blue upper with a textured leather on the mudguard and heel. Contrasting hits of white land on the midsole, outsole and 23 on the heel with Black making its way onto the inner liner and the Jumpman logo on the heel.

The Nike Air Jordan 9 Low ‘Pantone’ is available at selected retailers.

Sneakers Dropping This Weekend: Air Jordan 10 ‘London’

Nike continues to drop dope releases in their city pack. Following on from the ‘Chicago’ and ‘Rio’ releases (which dropped earlier in the year), Nike will be dropping the London Air Jordan 10 this weekend.

The London-inspired Air Jordan 10 is dressed in a pure platinum, metallic gold and dark grey colour scheme. The tonal Grey upper represents one of London’s nicknames, 'The Big Smoke'. This nickname was given to the city due to the 1950’s era when London residents would use coal fires to warm their homes.

The smoke combined with fog would colour the London sky with tones of grey, similar to the upper of this retro. Metallic gold accents are added throughout the shoe – most notably on the stitched 'LDN' – providing a premium look for a premium city.

The Air Jordan 10 ‘London’ will drop on Saturday, 18 June 2016 at selected retailers.

Sneakers Dropping Today: Nike Running Jungle Pack

The Nike Running Jungle Pack showcases a dense tropical theme featuring the equatorial flora and fauna.

The pack includes two Nike Running performance footwear styles for men and women: the Nike LunarTempo 2, and the Nike Free RN. Both pairs are covered in a tropical print that ends up giving the models a fun and modern motif that nicely represent the Floral Jungle theme.

The Nike LunarTempo 2 is a lightweight cushioned trainer designed to hug your feet. The LunarTempo 2s are built on top of squishy Lunarlon foam, and enclose your feet in Nike’s seamless Flymesh upper with Flywire Cables.

The Nike Free RN features Lunarlon cushioning with large hexagonal flex grooves for more natural motion with the soft comfort you need for longer runs. The lightweight Lunarlon cushioning system delivers miles of soft responsiveness. It fuses soft foam and a lightweight Phylon carrier to deliver an excellent blend of plush comfort and durable support to go the distance.

The Nike Running Jungle Pack is now available at selected retailers.

Introducing the YEEZY BOOST 750 Light Grey by adidas Originals x KANYE WEST

Kanye West and adidas Originals release the next version of the now iconic YEEZY BOOST 750 which was the first product from the adidas Originals by KANYE WEST collaboration launched in

2015.

This YEEZY BOOST 750 comes in a light grey suede version with a translucent gum outsole featuring full length adidas BOOST™ cushioning technology, combining the ultimate in comfort and performance with high-end style. Other features include premium leather and suede heel lining, breathable mesh forefoot lining, reinforced textile eyelets and stretchable Velcro strap as well as the signature perforated toe cap.

Kanye West and adidas believe in the highest quality and apply this ethic to any of the products from the adidas Originals by KANYE WEST collaboration. The YEEZY BOOST brings Kanye West’s unique creativity and individuality to the forefront of leading adidas design innovations.

The YEEZY BOOST 750 in light grey will be available in limited numbers to consumers for a recommended price of R3999.00 from AREA3 in Johannesburg and Shelflife store in Cape Town on Saturday June 11th, 2016 via an online raffle system.

The YEEZY BOOST 750 release will take place through an online raffle system, with tickets being drawn at random from entries on www.area3.co.za and www.shelflife.co.za. Consumers are able to sign up to stand an opportunity to win a chance to purchase a pair of the YEEZY BOOST 750 from 12:00 on Tuesday the 7th of June until 20:00 on Thursday the 9th of June 2016 on www.area3.co.za and www.shelflife.co.za. The raffle winners will be notified via telephone between 12h00pm and 20h00pm on Friday the 10th of June 2016 and will be invited to come to the store that they signed up on in person to purchase the pair between 12:00 and 14:00 at AREA3 and between 15:00 and 17:00 at Shelflife on Saturday the 11th of June. T&C’s apply per store and online.

Sneakers Dropping Today: Vans x Nintendo Collection

Vans and Nintendo collaborated on an extensive collection of footwear, apparel and accessories, celebrating the early days of video games.Vans presents exclusive graphic prints using 8-bit inspired artwork and characters from Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda, as well as an assortment inspired by Nintendo’s first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

The Vans x Nintendo collection drops today at selected retailers and it will be available in adults and children’s sizing, making it ideal for Vans and Nintendo fans of all generations.

Sneakers Dropping This Weekend: NikeLab Air Max 1 Royal Red Women’s Sneaker

The NikeLab Women’s Air Max 1 Royal Red continues the legacy in a lovely bright colourway. The sneaker delivers a premium design. Royal Red is complimented with hits of Gold on the midsole and inner lining. This classic combination of colours looks great and comes with a set of red laces.

While a visible Max Air unit provides classic cushioning, a deconstructed upper, buffed midsole and leather-wrapped heel upgrade the original for a contemporary look. A white outsole adds a nice twist to the silhouette while branding on the tongue and heel finish off the look.

The Nike Women’s Air Max 1 Royal Red will be dropping on 4 June 2016 at selected retailers.

Introducing The Bold Basketball Inspired PUMA x SWASH London Collection

PUMA teamed up with fashion house SWASH London on a dope collection that features both apparel and footwear. SWASH London is a luxury lifestyle brand established in 2004 by its founders Sarah Swash and Tosshio Yamanaka and is known for its bold and whimsical prints.

The 2^nd PUMA x SWASH London drops today, 1 June 2016, and include:

• The Blaze of Glory sneaker – features a  SWASH Ossuary design paired with a mellow, soft leather strike;
• The States Mid sneaker – features a SWASH Samovar, a unique hand drawn and painted design featuring bold and lavish, intricate patterns with an upper constructed from rich leather;
• The States sneaker – features an embellished Toucan design in jewel colour print;
• A Unisex Varsity Jacket - features soft lambskin sleeves, side pockets and custom badges and the eye-catching SWASH Samovar print; and
• A Unisex Basketball Tank – features a SWASH Samovar pattern and loose fit for a true basketball feel.

The PUMA x SWASH London can be found at PUMA SELECT Cape Town, Bree Street and Johannesburg, Braamfontein and Madaiza.