Pharrell Williams serves up '70s swagger with Adidas Originals tennis line

Written by . Published: August 29 2017

Pharrell Williams injected the “swagger” of '70s tennis into his new Adidas Originals collection.


The multitalented musician has worked with the sports brand since 2014, launching several stylish collections over the years, and his latest line is no different.

Slated for release on Thursday (31Aug17), during the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Pharrell's new creations focus on the history of the sport and his passion for it, with pieces including knee-high socks, sneakers, dresses and polo tops.

“The first thing that popped up was something I felt like was just perfect for all that’s going on in the world right now, because tennis, the sport, has language in its scoring system that uses the word ‘love’,” he explained to W magazine of the inspiration behind his new Adidas range.

“Silhouette-wise, it kind of celebrated a different kind of sexuality, a sexiness. It’s very interesting for us to get the opportunity to inject some of that mentality and some of that swagger the players had when they were wearing those clothes on the court.”

German tennis star Angelique Kerber and Spanish player Garbine Muguruza will be premiering the pieces while playing at the U.S. Open.

Prices range from $40 to $400 .

In the lead up to the line's launch, Pharrell and Adidas unveiled their Don’t Be Quiet Please campaign, which kicked off on Saturday (26Aug17) and features umpire chairs set up around New York City encouraging people to voice their messages of love. The campaign, which is in partnership with Horizons and Court16, is also offering scholarships to young tennis players, and will help restore tennis courts across the city with a donation to the NYC Parks Department.

“Every tennis match starts with the same two words: ‘Quiet Please.’ But change can be noisy, and our love can transform anything,” Pharrell said in a statement. “Outside the court, we will let our voices be heard as loud as we can. If you see the potential for good, speak up. Together, we can change the game for the better.”