KSENIASCHNAIDER ON THE ADIDAS ORIGINALS COLLAB, UPCYCLING, AND STAYING INDEPENDENT

Kseniaschnaider

For over a decade, Anton and Ksenia Schnaider have been steering their independent label from Ukraine. In 2019, their brand gained significant attention in the fashion world, thanks to their innovative upcycled jeans, which became a signature piece. Fast forward five years, amidst global upheavals including a pandemic and the invasion of their home country by Russian forces, the designers remain resilient. One major support has been their ongoing collaboration with the German giant, adidas Originals, with whom they released a new collection of clothing and accessories recently. As they prepare for more releases in the Fall/Winter season, we discuss their fruitful collaboration, upcycling, and global reach.

Hi guys, it’s lovely to speak with you. We first interviewed you back in 2019; the world was so different. It was pre-pandemic, pre-invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops… Where would you say you stand now differently from where you were five years ago?

All these events have certainly made us stronger. There were moments when we nearly gave up on our brand, but we managed to sustain our business and production in Ukraine. We’ve also expanded into new markets and grown our audience through international collaborations with adidas Originals, DL1961, Kiss My Apps, and bettter. Staying creative amidst adversity and motivating our team has been the toughest part. These past five years have been transformative, enhancing my resilience and adaptability.

Congratulations on the new collaboration with adidas! You had already teamed up with the German brand last year, so I’d like to know how did this pairing come about?

Thank you! This collection is a dream come true for us. Ten years ago, during an internal meeting, we identified adidas Originals as our dream partner, as we were big fans of the brand as teenagers. After years of effort, we finally received an invitation from adidas to collaborate. It was a beautiful moment! We then traveled to Germany to work closely with their creative team.

In your first collection with them, you presented a pair of adidas Originals sneakers as well as some denim pieces, which are the most characteristic within your work. How did you take on that first challenge? What was the easiest and the most difficult thing about it?

Being an independent brand offers complete creative freedom, while working with a global brand involves certain rules and regulations. Surprisingly, we enjoyed the process, as we love finding ways to push boundaries within limitations. Working with the adidas team was a fun and supportive experience.

In your second collaborative collection, you’ve expanded into swimwear, knit, dresses, and even repurposed football jerseys. Why did you feel important to work on other categories different from shoes and denim?

While denim and upcycling are our strengths, we always wanted to include accessories, shoes, and knitwear in our range. Collaborating with adidas allowed us to explore different products and materials using our archive patterns and adidas’ legacy.

All of the pieces are great, but the shoebox became an instant hit last year and you’ve repeated it. As I understand, it was created almost by accident. How important is fate/randomness/fortune in your design process?

Anton Schnaider spotted a shoebox at adidas headquarters and immediately attached his belt to it, saying, “We have to make a bag like this!” This idea, inspired by a children’s sneaker box, became a hit. Two years later, Balenciaga released a box bag without a belt. Our design was aimed at being practical for everyday use, showing how playful ideas can bring joy and innovation.

You’re used to working by and for yourselves, so getting involved with a bigger design team like that of adidas must be thrilling. How does your creative process change depending on the scale/size of the team and the people involved in it? Meaning, how different is the creative process when working on your own brand vs working on the adidas collection?

Honestly, our creative process didn’t change much. We joked, experimented, and played with ideas. The expectations were clear from the beginning, making the collaboration smooth and stress-free.

Upcycling is a very important aspect of Kseniaschnaider’s DNA. How did you approach that in the adidas collab?

We utilized adidas’ dead stock fabrics, which led to the creation of our patchwork garments in the collections.

As an independent brand, teaming up with a giant like adidas must have helped you in different ways, from getting more people to know you to earning money to work on your own line. How do you value this collaboration so far? Also, do you feel like you’ve had to compromise on certain aspects to make it work somehow?

We haven’t had to compromise much; our voice is clear in this collaboration. The only regret is not having a launch event or a bigger marketing activation. However, it’s rewarding to see people worldwide wearing KS x adidas Originals items and tagging us on social media.