The Jappy Agoncillo x adidas Philippines collab is for everyone
In a world that changes as quickly and as often as ours does, it can get reassuring that some things will always stay the same. Our mothers will always worry about us, our fathers will never think we’re good drivers, and the Filipino people will always love basketball—that latter taking the helm of the Jappy Agoncillo x adidas Philippines collaboration.
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With the release of the adidas City Shop “Manila Hoops” tee collection, adidas Philippines is upping their roster of collaborations with local artists. This time, muralist and illustrator Jappy Agoncillo brings his signature vibrant designs to apparel. Think, quite literally, that they’ve gone off the wall.
The Manila Hoops collection comes in two designs: one for men and another for women (but we’re all for mixing and matching). One design features a basketball player on the move, with a quirky addition of taho balanced on his head, which is available in black, dark blue and red colorways. Meanwhile, the women’s design features a variety of Manila’s females, available in black and white.
Jappy Agoncillo’s designs draw inspiration for some of the constant things about Filipinos: our love for basketball and our diverse street culture. Think children playing basketball before they can even attend elementary school, our streets filled with the smell of fishballs and kwek-kwek being fried and kuya’s signature “Tahoooooooo!”
According to adidas Philippines' Brand Communications & Sports Marketing Manager, JD Cortez, the reason behind the collaboration was, “First (and foremost), hyperlocal.” And we don’t blame them; after all, the success of adidas’ collaboration with other local artists, Quiccs and Egg Fiasco, it was only a matter of time until Jappy Agoncillo was part of the mix. “Because of that sense of belonging within the Filipino community,” he further explains. “As a brand, we really want to celebrate and empower local talent through our platform.”
Meanwhile, Jappy explains the thinking behind his designs: “I kind of thought back to my own experiences as a kid, as a Filipino, and understanding what Filipinos like and what we’re all about…it was every easy to connect basketball back to the Filipino identity.”
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In our exclusive sit-down with both JD Cortez and Jappy Agoncillo, one thing became glaringly obvious: this collaboration goes far beyond putting big names together. This is about something—finally—that we can all agree on. It’s about highlighting an actual commonality, and celebrating it.
The adidas City Shop x Jappy Agoncillo collection, Manila Hoops, is available at the adidas Brand Center in Glorietta. For more information, follow adidas Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
