When Beijing shopper Qian Jiatun recently visited the adidas Flagship Store in Sanlitun Village, Beijing, he found people dressed like Darth Vader and Stormtrooper striking poses for the visitors.
On the same day, Huang Chuyang and his friends were screaming in the shop Source in Shanghai. They claimed Stormtroopers were invading the city. It was, actually, a Star Wars fans party with free beer and snacks.
Three days later, Hong Kong's Adam Lee was taken aback to see three Darth Vaders and four Stormtroopers having dinner in a restaurant near his apartment - and walked over for a closer look.
It turned out the trigger for all of this was the Star Wars inspired adidas Originals 2010 Spring Summer Collection. The collection offers five styles of shoes and three types of T-shirts, printed with classic scenes of Lightsaber Duels, Darth Vader, Skywalker, Stormtrooper, and Yoda.
Huang, holding his "Superskate Mid Stormtrooper" shoes, says they are clearly inspired by Stormtrooper's white armor. On the other hand, Qian's T-shirt is more evil, with black shades and red dots, the pattern takes its cue from Darth Vader.
Wu Wei, fashion editor of China's Esquire, feels the collection's futuristic look will catch on this spring. He points to the latest collection of Cerruti 1881, a high-end luxury Milan-based brand of clothing and fragrances founded by Nino Cerruti, mentor of Giorgio Armani. Its suits and trousers in silver and white, with checked patterns and slim cuts, retain the brand's high-end style.
This is also true of Kent & Curwen's blazers, shirts, polo shirts and sports jackets, he adds. Kent & Curwen was founded in 1926 in London, and started off with ties, providing services only to the army and to the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge.
Their latest collection is inspired by British nobility, the Houses of Windsor, Spencer, Westminster and Devonshire.
While the main color is navy blue, there are also some grays and sky-blues. Suits and jackets come with checked patterns that create a shadow effect.
The men's blazers that come with a modern cut are more fitted than tradition dictates. The cardigan in fine gauge wool also has some cashmere, making for a unique combination.
"The year 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade. The fashion industry is trying to leverage this new beginning to the idea of futurism," Wu believes.
He, however, finds the style cold and lacking a human touch.
"Futurism represents knowledge, distance and sometimes nobility. I think 'cool' is the best word to describe it.
"Although the Star Wars collection is also sportswear, it is still in the high-end range. These products, with Star Wars patterns, will appeal to people who like to appear distant," he says.
