Global Cues from the Brand Next Door: Concepts x Asics “Otoro”
Few boutiques in sneakers, streetwear, or any retail venture start off as a refined, well-heeled brand with upper echelon appeal amongst their industry’s elite. Most brands begin as a passion project or stores crafted through happenstance out of a necessity within the industry. Rather than chasing fads and the moment-to-moment whims of the market, these successful boutiques embrace the grind and slowly rise to become top tier through a focus on product and a passion for delivering high-quality products to their consumers. Their grind, attention to detail, and genuine mass appeal make them top tier. Enter Concepts.
2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Boston’s “brand-next-door” that also exudes world-class caché. To celebrate, Concepts has paired with Asics for “Otoro”, a Japanese tuna-inspired footwear release that draws on the now iconic seafood, restaurant culture, and a consumer hype originator, The Michelin Guide. The “Otoro” collaboration is what Concepts’ Creative Director would call a “full-circle” moment. In the inspiration for the “Otoro” we see a story that mirrors Concepts itself with an appreciation for something simple and humble, that is now synonymous with luxury without a change in formula or a shift in approach.
To get a greater sense of the inspiring forces behind this collaboration and 25 years of Concepts, we snagged Deon for ten questions.
As someone who notoriously dislikes seafood how does the Creative Team at Concepts keep dragging you back to a seafood themed collaboration, haha?
Haha, end of day it’s never about me. Concepts has always tied in luxury, and food and the notion around that in itself always somehow ties into the lifestyle that we find the silver lining in. Designing around something you personally have no attachment to allows for a certain objectivity in your design process, maybe that’s why we can execute it so well.
This is your first collaboration with Asics in six years, what brought you guys back together?
Our 25th anniversary to some extent but actually this convo began around the 30th anniversary of the gel III.
Your first collaborations with Asics played heavily on Boston's heritage and relied on its local history to create the themes, what made you guys reach for a theme that most people wouldn't immediately associate with Concepts hometown?
Concepts has since expanded international, so this has given the ability to reach across the globe. Boston forever remains home nothing changes that. We tend to weave luxury within our collaborations so that’s been the driving force with this particular project. We try and find themes people can recognize but always dig deeper into the storytelling - that’s where most of the time is spent on the design side.
In some of the teaser photos making their way around social media, there seems to have been multiple "Otoro" iterations that went into production. What about the final design made it the "one"?
Oftentimes we tend to overthink, especially considering we weren’t against the clock for once. We initially wanted to incorporate leather, but the color blocking worked in unison with the suedes, so we opted for that.
Bright Yellow laces can be seen accompanying the Gel-Lyte III. What's the story behind them?
The laces are actually a celery green. We wanted to add in a color associated with tuna and after reading how forbidden soy was this made the most sense. Ever since the red lobster we have added contrasting laces so it’s something we consider when design process is in motion almost from jump.
Asics has introduced a few new models, and has a deep catalogue of great silhouettes what brought you all back to the Gel-Lyte III?
We love all the new models and hopefully will get a chance to work on something more current. This was more so paying homage to what got us here. While we have worked on multiple projects tea party was such an important moment for us it only felt right to try and capture lightning yet again.
Covid threw the world into lockdown last year, did the limitations of the past year slow down the creative team or give you guys more time to conceive new ideas or stories? What changed about the way you all work? What have you guys learned from last year if anything?
We have been conditioned to be reactive throughout our scope of work. So, in a way it was business as usual. We’ve had so many sign offs sight unseen not to mention things beyond our control, it’s just the nature of our business. So, to be direct we were ready.
Revisiting an old silhouette with a fresh take is a risky move, with streetwear and sneakers in such a constant turnover of the latest and greatest what is it about revamping a 30-year-old shoe special?
It’s extremely difficult to be labeled as a classic within the realm of footwear. This is one of those iconic silhouettes that has withstood the test of time. We actually didn’t have any reservations regarding this project more so the opposite.
Concepts has really gone from a real local hotspot to a globally recognized brand. Was there a point where you realized or thought to yourself "Shit, I'm creating for some guy in Paris or some woman in Hong Kong."?
Haha I think just now when you mentioned it.
In Boston, what's the best place to get good "Otoro"?
You are asking the wrong guy but based on what I’ve heard I would say Oishii.
The Concepts x Gel-Lyte III OG “Otoro” and accompanying “Four Days’ Apparel Collection release Friday June 11th, at 11:00am EST online via cncpts.com, and instore via Concepts Boston and Concepts NYC locations.