After several years as an ambassador and one of the faces of its campaigns, JENNIE has taken on a significantly larger creative role within adidas Originals. The adidas Originals by JENNIE FW26 collection is their first design collaboration, with JENNIE participating in the project as a co-designer.
The collection is built around the concept of Functional Grace, combining functionality rooted in adidas’ sporting heritage with an aesthetic JENNIE shapes around controlled lines, restraint and the strength of ballet. Rather than literally adopting ballet codes, the collection applies them to recognizable adidas Originals pieces and places them within a more contemporary, futuristic context.
The clearest example of this approach is the Superstar SQ Ballet. The classic Superstar sneaker silhouette has been reinterpreted through the form of a ballet pointe shoe, with a squared toe and ribbon detailing. The collection also includes reworked tracksuits, layering T-shirts, wrap skirts, knitted cardigans, sheer bodysuits and leggings, fleece hoodies, as well as accessories such as leg warmers and cut-out socks.
The same combination of ballet and futurism is carried into the Cosmic Ballerina: Kinematics campaign. Instead of a dance studio, JENNIE appears in a surreal, space-inspired environment, where movements that seem to defy gravity connect the control of ballet with ideas of freedom, strength and possibility.
For JENNIE, this contrast formed the foundation of the entire project. As she explained when presenting the collection, she wanted to combine the softness and discipline of ballet with the strength behind it, as well as the feeling of an endless, unknown space. The entire visual world was therefore conceived as simultaneously timeless, cinematic and surreal.
The collaboration further expands her existing relationship with the brand. Earlier this year, she also appeared in the global Superstar campaign alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Kendall Jenner, Lamine Yamal, Baby Keem, James Harden, Tyshawn Jones and Olivia Dean.
The collaboration therefore also marks a shift in JENNIE’s role within her relationship with adidas: from ambassador and campaign face to a position in which she directly participates in shaping the products and their visual world. The adidas Originals by JENNIE FW26 collection has been available since September 1 at selected adidas stores, through the CONFIRMED app, online and at selected retail partners.
