Michelle Riley.
9. Adidas Terrex Ski Racing
Designing the Downhill Skiing Race Suits for Adidas Terrex was a lifelong dream as an avid skiier and huge fan of the sport. After working on PUMA’s Tokyo Olympics, having the chance again to work with elite athletes in a Winter-focused realm brought me a lot of joy and passion in my design work; my goal was to make the kits feel empowering to the athlete; to help them feel fast, confident and brave when entering competition.
Intro to Petra Vlhova.
My focus was to design new Downhill, Giant and Slalom Race Suits for our Terrex Athlete, Petra Vlhova, World Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. We had the chance to meet with her multiple times and get to know a bit about her background which helped contribute to the design direction.
Petra’s hope was to have a more feminine and youthful-feeling kit that would stand out on the mountain. She expressed her love for her early morning downhill training and catching the sunrise, listening to pop music when relaxing and spending time with family. Taking all of these elements in, we wanted to design something youthful and vibrant for her competition days that connected to her inner self. Elevation maps from her home in Slovakia, as well as sunrises from the moutain she grew up in, were key inspirations behind the gradient graphics in the kits.
Peak at Kriváň Mt (2494 m)
Slovakia.
Side view of Elevation.
All-over print,
executed by Niko Singer.
Gradient Graphic,
executed by Michelle Riley.
The inspiration for our placed graphics originates from the summit of Kriváň Mountain, one of the highest peaks in Slovakia, the home country of Petra. Execution of graphics by Niko Singer, Senior Graphic Designer for Adidas Terrex.
Race Suit Designs,
by Michelle Riley.
The collection for Petra includes the Downhill, Giant and Slalom Race Suits. Each suit is equipped with slightly different elements; the Giant and Slalom require protection padding built into the suit (arms and legs in critical positions), based in a spacer knit material, whereas the Downhill suit is in a lighter weight mesh-jacquarded double knit, built for breathability and speed. The sponsorship logo placement varies slightly between suits considering the padding placement and visibility during the race, each sponsorship needing to be present from every angle during competition. These factors alone make each suit very thoughtful and considered when it comes to media perception, enhancing visibility on television and social media platforms.
A massive thank you to everyone who was involved in product creation for this collaboration, it was a phenomenal team effort:
Elke Fischer - Lead Product Line Manager, Adidas Terrex
Michelle Riley (me) - Apparel Designer, (formerly Adidas Terrex)
Ina Reihl - Senior Manager Development, Adidas Terrex
Niko Singer - Senior Graphic Designer, Adidas Terrex