“My relationship with adidas started during my formative years. I was into hip-hop, football and later acid house and the brand was integral to all those things. Adidas approached me to come and work there soon after I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a degree in Fashion Promotion. I have continued to work with the company in various capacities ever since. I believe that my career with adidas has been informed by my experiences growing up far more than my academic background.
Over the past 17 years, I have been involved in a host of marketing projects and collaborations that I guess are now seen as milestones within the wider sportswear industry. I initiated the first adidas collaboration with Japanese clothing brand A Bathing Ape and was very involved with the 35th anniversary of the Superstar shoe. I am now freelance and retained by adidas as a marketing consultant. I also design a premium range for them called adidas Originals x Spezial which, I’m happy to say, has picked up quite a cult following here in the UK.
Day-to-day I generally wear fairly conservative casualwear with a bit of sportswear. I tend to favour brands like Stone Island, Visvim and Ralph Lauren alongside luxury Italian brands like Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana. If I have to dress formally I’ll wear a Kilgour suit. When I’m relaxing on the weekend, or on a long distance flight, I tend to dress in adidas Originals x Spezial tracksuits. Adidas pioneered the tracksuit so there is legitimacy to them that fashion brands can never lay claim to.
My watch of choice is a Rolex GMT-Master II. I bought it as a 40th birthday present to myself. I always wanted a Rolex as a youngster, but could never afford one. To help me decide which Rolex to get, a mutual friend introduced me to someone who is an expert in these matters. We hit it off immediately and, with his help, I chose the GMT. Everything about it suits my style. If ever I leave the house without my watch, I don’t feel fully dressed. I also have a Rolex Air-King, which I was sent as a gift. It is unworn and still in its unopened box – I plan to give it to my son when he is older.”
