Thomas StewartWhen it comes to JD Sports the first thing we think of is, of course, sport. And why shouldn’t we? The company is all about giving the very best fashionable sportswear to their customers. But here comes their Spring 2014 collection, which will have us all contradicting ourselves on what we first thing when JD Sports comes into conversation.
The JD Sports Spring 2014 collection is a love letter to art. The Star Player Mid and Star Player Ox have been re-mastered for this season for the sheer reason that they want to embrace street culture, street art, music and skate. This appreciation for art plays into how they wish to present their collection. In celebration, three street artists will be taking over the windows of their stores in Liverpool, Glasgow and London.
London will see illustrator Sam Cox have live art installations, when Liverpool will have colour focused artist, Dead. Glasgow, however, remains to be seen. What we can gather from the yet to be named Glasgow artist – if the others are anything to by – is that each of the artists are local to the stores and will be representing their regions.
What JD Sports is doing with this collection is making it more niche but, in no way, isolating potential interested buyers. Their use of colours is evident with this. The Star Player Ox is available in red, black, oyster grey and radio blue. The Star Player Plus Hi is more of a contrast, showing the colourways of oyster grey and black.
As well as a desire to incorporate art, this collection is refreshing its sense of style. With suede accents, shortened vamps and streamlined eyelets, the SP14 is clearer to us, as men of fashion, going out and buying these essentials. With the colour, the fabric and the artwork, the collection is complete and celebrates the creativity that has gone into the Star Player and, most importantly, to encompass the CONS Star Chevron logo behind it all.
So now, we ask, what is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of JD Sports? Sportswear essentials? Fashionable sportswear? Or, something else entirely?