Reebok, the iconic lifestyle brand, continues its celebration of the life and creative legacy of Charles and Ray Eames via three commemorative iterations of the iconic Classic Leather including ‘The Coloring Toy’, ‘Rosewood’, and the ‘Elephant Pack.’ Each release will take place during the month of June via Eamesoffice.com, Reebok.com, and select retailers, beginning with the Eames Office x Reebok Classic Leather ‘The Coloring Toy’ on June 2.
In honor of the launch, Reebok and Eames Office will host “Everything Connects,” an immersive brand experience at Lume Studios, NYC, featuring interactive exhibits and performances that honor the collaboration, encourage creativity, and further explore the historic Reebok and Eames stories inspiring the collection. A friends-and-family reception will take place on Thursday, May 19, followed by a consumer event, open to the public, on Friday, May 20, 12pm – 4pm EST, where attendees will have exclusive early access to new product.
The Eames Office x Reebok Classic Leather collection extends Reebok’s landmark partnership with the Eames Office, with the first drop launching earlier this year. The firm began with Charles and Ray’s marriage and move to California in 1941 and continues today, run by the third generation of the Eames family.
Known for their ground-breaking furniture creations for Herman Miller and Vitra, the husband-and-wife team redefined post- war American design and are credited with shaping the way we live with their playful yet purposeful sensibility. Eames’ designs represent a belief that the objects in our everyday life should enrich our existence and transcend utilitarian function to connect with people on a personal level. Reebok is deeply inspired by Eames’ holistic approach to industrial design. The iconic Classic Leather running shoe embodies Charles and Ray’s commitment to creating goods of practical integrity that grow richer and more endearing with every use. Swathed in tactile garment leather, the Classic Leather blends Reebok’s athletic DNA with timeless tactile luxury.
This unpretentious deference to the needs of the individual is the foundation of Eames’ design practice. As Charles Eames had once expressed, the job of “the designer is basically that of a good host— anticipating the needs of the guest.” Stylish, versatile, and luxuriously crafted, the Classic Leather epitomizes this needs-based design ethic. Together, the brands reengineered the Classic Leather to make the shoe as faithful to the original 1983 release as possible while simultaneously innovating on materials and process.
Reebok x Eames Classic Leather – ‘The Coloring Toy’ (£90, GY6393)
Inspired by the Eames’ 1955 The Coloring Toy children’s coloring and construction kit, the Reebok x Eames Classic Leather ‘The Coloring Toy’ features bold geometric outlines stamped across pristine white garment leather uppers. In the spirit of playful hands-on experimentation, wearers are encouraged to color in the shapes and transform each pair into a uniquely personal design object. The Reebok x Eames Classic Leather ‘The Coloring Toy’s’ insole features the original Coloring Toy logo and a reinterpretation of the toy’s original instructions re-written by Eames Demetrios.
Reebok x Eames Classic Leather – ‘Rosewood‘ (£90, GY6391)
Inspired by the sweeping Rosewood plywood shell of the iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, the Reebok x Eames Classic Leather ‘Rosewood’ features a woodgrain print on the specialty leather upper that mimics the appearance of Rosewood, a favorite material of Charles and Ray. An original exploded diagram of the Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman is reproduced on the insoles. Available June 9 exclusively from Eamesoffice.com, followed by a June 10 release from Reebok.com and select retailers.
Reebok x Eames Classic Leather – ‘Elephant Pack’ (£90, Red: GY6384, Ice Grey: GY6385, Lime: GY6386)
Conceived in the 1940s while experimenting with the properties of molded plywood, the Eames Elephant is a small children’s play object that was unable to be mass-produced during Charles and Ray’s lifetime owing to the complexity and expense involved in shaping the creature’s complex curves. Finally released by Vitra in conjunction with the Eames Office in 2007, the Eames Elephant is now available in plywood and child-friendly plastic. The Reebok x Eames Classic Leather Elephant pays homage to these playful pachyderms with a removable elephant-face that shrouds the laces. The rich garment leather uppers are tonally drenched in authentic Eames Ice Grey, Poppy Red, and Dark Lime.
Packaging – The Shoebox:
Packaging for the Reebok x Eames Classic Leather Collection is modelled after the Eames House— Case Study House No. 8— in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. An example of egalitarian, post war suburban architecture, the house embraces industrial innovation while retaining the warmth and human scale of a loving family home. Charles and Ray lived together in the Eames House until their passing. Today, it is a tribute to the couple’s design ethos and an exemplar of sustainable building.
The Eames’ vision of honest and accessible design is evident through the simple yet carefully considered details of the Reebok x Eames Classic Leather pack. To Charles and Ray, design wasn’t about retreating to impossible ideals; it was about celebrating a pragmatic yet deeply optimistic journey and working through the opportunities and constraints of the world that is to discover– even define and make better–the emerging world of tomorrow. Because the future is right under our feet.
Available June 2 exclusively from Eamesoffice.com, followed by a June 3 release from Reebok.com and select retailers.
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