In 1984, the adidas Forum appeared as the ultimate basketball sneaker. Back then it was praised for its performance on the court, but since then the classic has found its way into ever new designs with real 80s characters and is a streetwear icon.
With the latest 2021 Autumn/Winter collection, adidas presents a renewed Forum and celebrates the creativity of the new generation of Forum wearers with three versions.
Vice und adidas Originals
VICE and adidas Originals celebrate female creativity and present Open Forum. As women are underrepresented in the creative industry, Open Forum offers aspiring female photographers the opportunity to fully express themselves. Several female photographers at the beginning of their careers have photographed their muse in Forum Kicks.
Each photographer has captured their model in their own creative way, including styling and location. The photographs are accompanied by various stories about the creators and their motives. The focus is on women, as studies* have shown that only 13.8% of professionals in the creative sector and less than 5% of creative directors are women. This highlights that they could use an additional platform.
*Jean Grow, University of Marquette
About the new collection with the adidas Forum
The adidas Forum combines the retro look of the original with innovative design and the best technologies. The Forum is available in three different styles so that everyone can wear a shoe that suits their style:
The Forum Exhibit Low has all the classic elements of footwear packed into one understated look. It also combines a removable strap, luxurious white leather uppers with red accents and navy blue details.
The Forum Exhibit Mid has a similar look but in a mid-height silhouette. Available in a striking pastel blue colourway.
The iconic Forum Low comes in a classic white look with navy, black and many other colorways.
We now introduce you to three of the five creative minds. Jolene Adelaar and Josje van Stekelenburg also worked on the campaign.
ALIFYA AL-HARAZ
Alifya is a photographer born and raised in the Netherlands with roots in Yemen. She taught herself everything about photography. She always saw the world with open eyes: she observed a lot and started capturing "life" on her mobile phone. In this way, she discovered early on that she was a natural talent.
Now she takes photos that are pure and honest to tell the stories of people from different backgrounds. To ensure that the people she photographs are captured as they really are, she is always very meticulous. "The world is beautiful, why not capture it?"
"IF YOU PAY A LITTLE ATTENTION, THERE IS SO MUCH BEAUTY IN THE WORLD. I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT PHOTOGRAPHING IT."
ALIFYA AL-HARAZI
ASHLEY RÖTTJERS
Ashley is a photographer, director and co-founder of photography studio Atelier 3. As a creative woman of colour, identity has always been a fascination for her. With a background in critical race and feminist theory, she focuses on making a difference. "Just do it" is her motto. She is interested in pop culture and its influence and uses her mindset to advocate for reform in this industry.
With her contribution to mainstream media, she strives to bring diversity to our image consumption. She also aims to portray realism in her images while focusing on creating quality content.
"MY WORK IS ALWAYS RAW, BUT THE COMMON THREAD IS REALLY WOMEN AND VULNERABILITY."
ASHLEY RÖTTJERS
ZOÏ PAHTALIAS
Zoï is a forward-thinking, conceptual photographer and art director. Her aim is to question ideologies and ethics and focus on who we are and where we are going. She speculates on the future of human existence by exploring technological singularity, the human body, biotechnology, beauty and science fiction.
She works from personal experiences and emotions, always colourful and with something strange, twisted or completely new. Her mission is to change ways of thinking and make statements that propagate social problems and then implement them in her own dystopian or utopian way.
"I WANT TO SHOW A TRANSFORMATION. HOW WOMEN TRANSFORM THEIR POSITION INTO POWER: THE RISE OF THE NEW SUPERWOMAN."
ZOÏ PAHTALIAS
