Tracksuit jacket becomes air conditioning: Rick Owens and Adidas defy Parisian heat

Rick Owens, known for his dark, avant-garde collections, has collaborated with German sportswear giant Adidas for spring/summer 2027.

The US designer showed his latest designs in Paris early on Thursday. The puffed-up jackets, created in collaboration with Adidas, particularly caught the eye. The black track jackets with the three stripes and matching jogging trousers were filled with air, resembling the inflatable mascots seen in pedestrian zones in international cities. Integrated fans are designed to cool the wearer, reports Berlin-based streetwear magazine Highsnobiety.

For the pieces, Owens reportedly used Adidas' Climacool technology. This was unveiled for the Football World Cup after years of development and was originally intended for motorsport. The system is designed to lower body temperature and improve heat tolerance, Adidas announced in early June. It involves integrating cooling gels into a vest worn over a jersey.

These measures seem helpful not only for the climate at the Football World Cup, currently being held in Mexico, the US and Canada, but also for the heatwave currently overshadowing Paris and its fashion week. Owens, who had originally planned to present his collection in the afternoon, moved it forward to 10am a few days prior.

The voluminous pieces in Owens' collection were also available in a “normal version”. Alongside track jackets and jogging trousers with long drawstrings, the collaboration also included sporty floor-length hooded coats, short shorts and various trainers.

This is not the first time Adidas and Rick Owens have joined forces. However, their last collaboration was almost ten years ago.