Originally featured in Grit Magazine for the “Pocky Game” issue from Spring 2013, the “Jester & Pablo” editorial stars male models, Jester White and Pablo Otero, in latex activewear.Photographed by Niclas Heikkinen, sportswear has been on the rise lately, with a plethora of designers sending athletic-inspired outfits down the runway season after season. According to the NPD Group, a company who tracks market research trends, found that the increase in apparel, footwear and accessories sales in 2014 as compared to 2013 was “driven primarily by growth in sales of activewear, athletic performance footwear and bags.”
From Alexander Wang to Kanye West, the idea of “athleisure” or performance-ready, athletic items with an elevated, luxe feel, is becoming increasingly popular throughout the fashion industry.
In a dreamy, normcore alt-reality, photographer Niclas Heikkinen creates a set of striking images. Playing with unexpected patterns and textures, stylist Larissa De Filippo opted for unusual polka dots, stripes and translucent materials.
Reminiscent of several minimalist Marc by Marc Jacobs campaigns, the photographs are simple, with an unbusy background and a clear focus on models in unusual settings, like an overturned office chair or amidst an electronic cable. An evocative shot features a model wearing a high neck, latex top in black, paired with athletic trousers in a gritty, futuristic-meets-grunge backdrop.
Another straight-forward, black and white image, shows a model in a contemplative pose in an irreverent, polka dot vest layered over a graffiti patterned top. Several other stand-out pieces include a transparent, hooded rain jacket, in clear and gray latex, a sheer mesh jersey and a white patterned jacket with war planes.
Filippo creates intriguing looks with a slight devil-may-care attitude with an interesting mix of layers, such as draping an oversized mesh jersey over a high neck latex top. As most of us “spring ahead” for the upcoming weekend, let’s set our sights on new ways to wear our favorite pieces in and fresh spring trends in the coming weeks.
Written by Jade Nicolette
The sporty influence is clear, but the latex material pushes it into something more conceptual, especially when paired with simple compositions and minimal sets.
Larissa De Filippo’s layering choices stood out to me, especially the oversized mesh jersey over latex, which somehow balances sporty and fetishistic without feeling forced.
That transparent hooded rain jacket in gray latex feels like the most forward-looking piece mentioned, especially with how outerwear keeps evolving in technical fabrics.
That overturned office chair and random cable detail adds such a strange, almost normcore surrealism that makes the looks feel less like runway and more like an alternate everyday.
The black and white shot with the polka dot vest layered over graffiti print sounds chaotic, but the contemplative pose seems to ground it in something more thoughtful.
The mix of latex with sporty silhouettes feels surprisingly wearable here, particularly that high neck top with athletic trousers against the gritty, futuristic backdrop.
I like how the article ties the 2013 editorial to the rise of athleisure, especially with that NPD Group data point showing real growth behind the trend rather than just hype.
The “dreamy, normcore alt-reality” description really captures the vibe of mixing everyday objects with such stylized latex looks, creating a subtle tension throughout the shoot.
The comparison to Marc by Marc Jacobs campaigns makes sense, but this feels a bit edgier with the grunge undertones and those unexpected materials like clear latex.
I appreciate that the article highlights both the commercial rise of activewear and the more artistic editorial interpretation happening in shoots like this one.
Using polka dots, stripes, and sheer materials together could have been overwhelming, yet it sounds like the stylist kept it cohesive through restrained backgrounds.
Niclas Heikkinen’s use of minimal backgrounds really lets the textures pop, especially the translucent pieces and polka dots that could easily look chaotic in a busier setting.
It’s interesting how the article connects big names like Alexander Wang and Kanye West to this aesthetic while showing a more experimental, editorial take on athleisure.
The mention of spring styling at the end ties everything together nicely, suggesting these bold pieces can inspire more wearable interpretations of athleisure trends.
I wasn’t expecting the war plane patterned jacket to work in this context, but it actually fits the slightly irreverent, devil-may-care styling approach described.