Ellesse and King of Trainers Ace Their New "Grand Slam" Collaboration for SS22
Taking inspiration from Wimbledon championships during the ’80s.
Italian sportswear brand ellesse has teamed up with British sneaker collector and Instagram personality King of Trainers for a six-piece apparel and shoe collection aptly dubbed “Grand Slam.”
The Tottenham-born King of Trainers, real name Franklin Boateng, has previously collaborated with ellesse on a selection of tennis shoes, however, this is the first time a full collection has been created. Boateng and ellesse’s collaboration — shot by Ernest Simons — is a celebration of ellesse’s tennis history, more specifically during the ’80s when players such as Boris Becker and Pet Cash wore ellesse’s branded colors.
For the collection’s footwear, the shoes come in a dual color combination with one foot in navy blue and the other in sky blue. Gold laces have been included that represent the Wimbledon tennis championships, while the suede upper is partnered with a rubber outsole and textile linings. Other collection highlights include the two-tone tracksuit that comes in the same navy and sky blue color palette. Although the tracksuit also takes inspiration from the Wimbledon championships, the same styles were seen around British football grounds during the heyday of firm conflicts and lively FA Cup ties during the same ’80s era.
Rounding off the collection, a polo shirt, T-shirt, and shorts set are included with thick branded zip pullers and embroidered ellesse branding across the chest sections of the shirts and lower leg areas of the shorts. Speaking about his collaboration, King of Trainers said:
“This collection is not only an homage to iconic ellesse tennis kits from the 1980s, but it is also a celebration of my mum’s love of the sport that she passed on to me. She used to buy me the latest tennis shoes that the professional players were wearing.”
You can have a closer look at the King of Trainers x ellesse collection above and it is available now on the official Offspring website.
In other news, A-COLD-WALL* has enlisted Pa Salieu has the face of Fall/Winter 2022.
