There is an electric, undeniable magic that happens when couture collides with the gritty reality of the street. In a stunning new lookbook, New York City becomes the stage for a modern-day fashion fairytale – a high-speed Cinderella story featuring a runner sprinting through the bustling metropolis, not in glass slippers, but in the ultra-sleek adidas ADIZERO EVO SL Zip.
Grounded in a narrative of embodied joy, this visual journey documents a breathtaking, bespoke gown meticulously crafted around the high-performance running sneaker, capturing a split-second collision of hyper-functional athletic performance and haute couture.
“Tutus are a really classic Miss Claire Sullivan staple, so we have a lot of really beautiful, lightweight tulle in this. I love that the shoe feels like you’re floating when you’re wearing it, so I wanted to have that element in the look as well.” – Claire Sullivan
At the heart of this visual narrative is the striking image of a runner navigating the concrete jungle in an ethereal, voluminous gown. Mirroring the lightweight construction of the ADIZERO EVO SL Zip, the dress utilizes cascading tiers of lightweight tulle and tightly gathered taffeta ruching.
The resulting tutu and dramatic train give the garment an immense structural presence while remaining entirely fluid. As the runner leaps over subway grates and sprints down city blocks, the fabric billows behind her, perfectly evoking the floating, weightless sensation of wearing the sneaker itself.
The true genius of the styling lies in how the dress plays with athletic identity on the run. Rather than letting the sneaker exist separately from the high fashion element, the gown integrates the iconic branding directly into its motion.
Three bold, graphic stripes slice diagonally across the runner’s torso as she moves, with playful variations of the motif hidden along the sides of the tutu and trailing down the back of the train. Furthermore, inspired by the sneaker’s aerodynamic zipper closure, an exposed, oversized metallic zipper acts as the focal hardware of the bodice, nodding to the hidden laces underneath.
“It was so fun, because when else am I going to have the opportunity to play with The Three Stripes? I love when you’re able to play with brand identity and put your own spin on it, thinking entirely outside the box.” – Claire Sullivan
”
“Ultimately, what makes this lookbook resonate so deeply is how it frames high-performance details through a lens of childhood nostalgia and dress-up fantasy. Inspired by vintage ’90s running photography, the imagery captures a relentless, joyful energy.
By sending a gown-clad runner sprinting through the chaotic beauty of New York, the project delivers a beautiful, fast-paced reminder of what happens when we embrace our inner child, lace up, and simply have fun with what we wear.
The adidas ADIZERO EVO SL Zip is available to purchase now on the adidas Running website and select retailers.
