Adidas & Big Sean Debut #ImaginedBy Series With Recording Studio in Detroit
Jennie Bell
Deputy Managing Editor
Last summer, Adidas introduced its mi Adidas customization system, which lets sneaker lovers create their own unique designs for the popular ZX Flux silhouette. Today, the brand took that idea to the next level with its new #ImaginedBy series.
The program, which kicked off with longtime Adidas Originals collaborator Big Sean, will invite a number of friends and partners to develop projects throughout the year in an effort to amplify “the power of artistic expression and imagination,” according to the athletic brand.
“#ImaginedBy recasts the ZX Flux sneaker as more than just a shoe, but rather as a tipping point for personal ideation and creative expression,” said Brandon Beaty, director of brand communications for Adidas Originals U.S., in a statement. “We also recognize the positive influence creativity can bring about in people’s lives. This was the impetus behind the development of the ZX Flux #ImaginedBy concept — this idea of spreading the power of imagination and to encourage others to fully explore their creativity.”
For the first project, Big Sean and Adidas Originals teamed up on an initiative that taps into his passion for music and for his hometown. Last week, the partners unveiled a state-of-the-art recording studio — dubbed “The Sean Anderson Studio of Infinite Possibilities” — at the hip-hop artist’s alma mater, Cass Tech High School in Detroit. The studio features a digital sound and mixing board, instruments and microphones selected by Big Sean and Detroit-based sound engineer Chris Koltay.
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“By supporting me the way they always have, Adidas Originals has made it possible for me to empower the youth of Detroit, using resources they most likely would not otherwise have access to,” Big Sean said in the statement.
Adidas documented the day of the unveiling in a video, “One Man Can Change Detroit,” that’s airing now on YouTube. The short film shows Big Sean visiting his childhood home and meeting local residents, and it goes inside Cass Tech to reveal the students’ enthusiastic (and high-decibel) reaction to his visit. The soundtrack features songs created by students in the “Studio for Infinite Possibilities.”
Watch the entire video here to see how Big Sean and Adidas are inspiring the next generation of musical artists:
