The idea of legacy in the Ivy League is a staple of the brand. It holds a place in American culture as much as it has created a lore worth being a part of. For Edison Chen, founder and creative director of famed streetwear brand CLOT, the prestige associated with the Ivy League has led him to question the literal boundaries of such a fraternity.
The adidas Originals x CLOT Pro Model Collection by Chen and his team merges the two worlds in their latest collaboration. “For this collection, inspired by Ivy League collegiate style, there are so many different tones to it,” Chen explains.
“I’ve never been to university, so that world still feels kind of mystical and magical. I’ve never experienced the classes, the seminars, the parties, the frats… So being able to approach it with a clean palette and imagine it in my own way is something that excites me.”
He details how American universities and concepts hold aspirational power across cultures. “It also gives my own crew—the people who have been following my projects, especially at adidas—a sense of belonging, almost like their own ‘family’ jacket. We have our crest, our mascot—the polar bear—which also represents the earth and what we’re going through. A lot of what we create has hidden layers and meanings behind it.”
“Ivy League,” coined in the 1930s, originated from sports journalism in reference to the ivy vines covering the university building in the Northeast, known as the “Ancient Eight,” representing each school in the conference. Chen has sought the outdoors to inspire a new norm for Ivy League sporting and activities, a world away from the sports normally associated with upper-echelon, such as racket and ball sports, rowing, golf, and including the more common ball and net sports, or football.
“The whole ‘school’ concept actually came from being in the Palisades [NJ] and seeing local school merch, Chen recalls. “I thought, This is so offbeat, but so cool. Usually, you see UCLA or NYU gear, but this small town had its own thing—it felt refreshing and inspiring.”
“I wanted to bring a different perspective, more rooted in sport and outdoor culture. It’s often about tennis or golf or other high-level sports, but I thought, ‘What if we had an outdoor team at an Ivy League school? What would that look like?” He questions it, proposing a novelty. “Maybe we’re the camping unit—still part of the club, but a little offbeat.”
A lot of Chen’s influence and CLOT’s design involves the rhetoric of “East-meets-West.” The collection is about reclaiming and reframing tradition, with Chen’s take on the familiar language of collegiate dress codes and interpreting it through his East-meets-West philosophy, blending heritage with modern street ethos, sport with tailoring. Every piece, from the varsity jacket to the reworked Pro Model silhouette, reflects the fusion of cultures, eras, and creative disciplines.
“We’re focused on showcasing our talents as creatives. How do we “cook better dishes,” so to speak, so that people recognize the quality of our work, not just the East-meets-West story behind it?”
At its core, it’s about product as much as it’s about perspective, which challenges the definition of “classic” and expands what global style means today. “We’ve been able to build on that with adidas through many of our projects. For example, on some of the Gazelle and Superstar drops, we used our signature silk motif—but beyond that, we’ve been working to shift the narrative.”
Chen has observed the notion but wants to make his Eastern influence more innovative. “It’s not just about East-meets-West anymore; it’s about rethinking how we create sneakers altogether. That goes back to our original mission statement for adidas CLOT and Edison Chen: we’re not just making sneakers, we’re making shoes. And that philosophy extends into our apparel as well—the way we approach design, the materials, and the craftsmanship.”
The adidas Originals x CLOT Pro Model Collection features the journey from China to America that Chen has exemplified. Messaging his homage to the Ivy League, the CLOT aesthetic peaks through in the textiles, garment design, knitwear, and includes CLOT’s interpretation of university patches.
“Chen finds ways to incorporate the traditions he’s familiar with into the American tradition of the Ivy League. “For us, it’s what we call the ‘hunting kimono jacket.’ It has this very zen, outdoor feel to it. You could imagine someone doing yoga in it, meditating, or even taking a break from Kung Fu practice—just sitting, relaxing, or reading a Kung Fu manual.”
“Within Ivy League culture, where you typically see baseball or basketball jerseys, we wanted to add a layer—something that could exist in that world but doesn’t really yet.” The “hunting kimono jacket” is the beacon of the collection. Along with a matching pair of pants, this garment is finished in corduroy and a roomy silhouette, toting tradition and an outdoor aesthetic. “Whether you’re in an urban environment or out in the countryside – that balance between worlds is what drives this concept.”
“From the Stan Smith project to the Ivy League capsule, the Pro Model, and everything in between, I think I’ve grown up in a culture where so much has already been done. Technology often drives innovation more than creative thought these days. So being able to sample, remix, and Frankenstein ideas together again has become a common thread throughout these projects.”
“I never really thought about Harvard or Yale or schools like that. The Ivy League is such a big part of Western entertainment culture—you see it in movies, in college basketball and football.” Chen and the CLOT team have offered a new iteration of what the Ivy League can be about.
With traditions clashing from cultures that are worlds apart, Chen recognizes the mutual benefits. He concludes, “It’s about designing something that feels both familiar and foreign at the same time, but in a way that’s comfortable and intriguing.” Redefining ‘classic’ and expanding what global style can mean today, the adidas Originals x CLOT Pro Model Collection launches globally on November 15, 2025.