In Y-3, contrast becomes duality, opposition becomes coalescence, two entities come together to form a whole.
For over twenty years, the renegade label has articulated its distinct point of view through a philosophy of the threshold – an exploration of the tipping point at which transformation occurs, the frontier where newness takes root.
Informed by this spirit, Y-3 presents its vision for Spring/Summer 2026: a defiant treatise on the inherent humanity of sport, bridging the gap between sartorial and athletic codes, through a visceral display of human movement, and an allegory of human transformation.
Descending upon, and then transforming the Palais Brongniart, the label’s seasonal presentation took on a quintessentially transgressive form: an extended format, an immersive performance in four acts that sought to prioritise deeper audience connection.
Soaked in dramaturgical allegories, movement artists from the pioneering Kianí del Valle (KDV) Performance Group narrated a story without words – emphasising physicality and expression, breaking through liminality with purposeful motion.
The collective, led by Show Dramaturg, Choreographer, and Movement Director Kiani del Valle, embarked on an exploration of the collective gaze, centering on a study of human relationships.
The ensuing offer comprises striking silhouettes, brought to life through Y-3’s distinct lens. With sport as a foundational principle, adidas’ iconic ‘Equipment’ range originating in the early 1990’s is reinterpreted as subversive expressions of the line’s original ethos – athleticism stripped back to its essential essence, a guiding philosophy for the collection.
The new seasonal materializations make their debut: summer viscose and crinkle viscose, worn by professional movers in an artistic display of live wear-testing, pushing each garment to its functional limit, showcasing the precision and performance pedigree of Y-3’s duality Luxe fabrications are roughened with raw edges; artisanal imperfection meets the precision of sport engineering - a physical embodiment of the ongoing conversation between adidas and Yohji Yamamoto.
A consistent motif of artistic experimentation, a series of pieces are dip dyed with each resulting gradient being rendered completely unique to the next, all the while, raw cut stripes bring new meaning to adidas’ signature three stripe iconography.
In footwear: adidas’ performance-tested speed runner - the RC6 - is cut to feature an asymmetric eyestay and raw-cut finishing. The Stan Smith low-profile in the style of a ballerina’s slipper, true to the collection’s presentation through dance. The Field honors adidas’ roots in football, reconnecting to adidas’ archival walkable football cleat.
Unveiled during the final act, a five piece capsule paid tribute to Y-3’s enduring connection to sport. With each piece honoring a different adidas athlete associated with the number 5 – Zinedine Zidane, Jude Bellingham, Garrett Wilson, Anthony Edwards – the hypothetically assembled team was completed with a baseball jersey adorned with the name of
the legendary designer himself. Punctuated by pinstripe details – borrowed from both the aesthetic language of baseball and men’s suiting – the aptly named 5 for 5 collection channels the essence of Y-3: the poignant intersection of sporting and sartorial codes.
A story of dualities and metamorphoses, Y-3 Spring/Summer 2026 is the pioneering label at its most immediate and essential.
