This past New York Fashion Week, Adidas and the designer collective, Yaito, threw the kind of party that proves fashion doesn’t have to stay on the runway. With the help of creative agency IMA Global, the waterfront in Red Hook, Brooklyn, was reimagined as Adiland — part carnival, part block party, and 100% culture.
At the center of it all was the debut of the Adidas x Yaito Superstar sneaker, a collaboration that reimagined one of Adidas’s most iconic silhouettes. The launch gave guests a first look at the fresh design while surrounding them with an experience that matched its boldness.
The space felt like stepping into a fashion playground. A ferris wheel towered over the crowd, a bouncy house brought out everyone’s inner kid, and carnival games gave guests the chance to score prizes — including exclusive Adidas sneakers. Even the claw machine had sneakerheads lining up for their shot at glory.
Food was as central to the experience as fashion. Local heavyweights Crabby Shack and Big Dog Chicken drew lines, but the real showstopper was Cuts & Slices with its viral oxtail pizza — the slice everyone had to snap before digging in. There were even sweet treats from Upcake Cupcakes and some chewy chocolate chip cookies from the OG adidas ambassador, Darryl McDaniels, who we all professionally know as DMC.
The energy never dipped thanks to DJ sets from Odalys, A-List, Karl Blanchard, and Beenblackin, who had the crowd on the floor singing along and breaking into the electric slide — a true block party moment in the middle of Fashion Week. Just when it felt like the night couldn’t get any bigger, Clipse hit the stage for a surprise performance that turned Adiland into a full-on concert.
And the crowd? A runway of its own. Patrons showed up in their best three-striped looks, from archival Adidas tracksuits to the brand-new Yaito collab, proving that style shines brightest off the catwalk.
For me, the best part wasn’t just the games, the food, or even the surprise performance — it was the atmosphere. Adiland felt like a community: sneakers, music, food, and fashion colliding in one space where everyone belonged.
By tapping IMA Global to bring the vision to life, Adidas and Yaito demonstrated the power of experiential fashion. With the superstar collab as the centerpiece, Adiland wasn’t just an activation — it was a redefinition of what NYFW can look like when you take it to the streets of Brooklyn and let the culture lead.
Shamika Sanders-Sykes is a writer, DJ, avid crate digger, and Adidas queen. Follow her on IG for all her adventures.
