If you’re a big fan of the English actor and musician Robert Pattinson, then this Christmas might be a little sad. After all, it’s been a while since his last big-name role – the sad sack Scott Fitzsimons in the vampire comedy-drama, The Rum Diary – and his last album, Royal Racing Club, was released in November 2018.
Then, on Tuesday, November 26, the 48-year-old announced the launch of his own clothing line, Robert Pattinson Adidas Collection, with three short drops at select stores including Barneys in New York and Selfridges in London. The collection features classic Adidas silhouettes – including classic Adiros and Adilette styles – paired with pieces of vintage and contemporary fashion, like a leather jacket, a scarf, and a baseball cap.
We take a look at how to get the Robert Pattinson Adidas collection, and the styles he has chosen to represent his brand.
Three Short Drops, But One Very Big Launch
The collection marks a return to form for Pattinson, who started his career aged 20 and rose to fame with his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight films. Although those films never truly went out of style, and he continues to be praised for his performances in more recent blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road and Bad Teacher, he has gradually moved away from acting and focused on his music and, more recently, his lifestyle blog, monomodernism.com.
Pattinson’s new clothing line is part of a wider effort by brands to cash in on the success of the actor, who has more than 17.7 million followers on Instagram and almost 8 million on Twitter. In June 2018, Dior came out with a collection of luxury goods and clothing inspired by his Twilight character. Dior’s creative director, Isabelle De Silva, said at the time: “We are thrilled to have the chance to pay homage to one of our favourite characters with this exciting collection.”
Pattinson is arguably the biggest name associated with the “vampire” trend that has swept Instagram this year – alongside the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Daniel Radcliffe, and Joe Jonas – but his new line is very different from Dior’s goth inspired pieces. Instead, it’s a celebration of the actor’s love for vintage fashion, with a taste of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Classic Adidos Styles
Although it’s been more than 10 years since his last acting role in the 2005 film, The House of Gucci, Pattinson has kept pretty busy. Since then, he’s starred in critically acclaimed films like Cosmopolis and The Lovedone, and released a number of albums, including 2014’s self-titled solo effort, which debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200. In the meantime, Adidas has released a number of successful solo endeavors, most notably, in 2002, when a collaboration between the German sportswear brand and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld saw the launch of the Karl Lagerfeld x Adidas Originals Collection. Since then, the two brands have released several collections, including one-offs and the annual capsule collection.
For his new collection, Pattinson has drawn on numerous sources for outfits. He has teamed up with iconic fashion houses like Dior and Prada as well as up-and-coming brands, such as Vetements and Off-White, to name just a few.
The choice of Dior is particularly curious, as the fashion house has rarely licensed its iconic names for wear. It was only in 2017 that designer Raf Simons brought out a capsule collection as part of his farewell tour – the Raf Simons x Dior collection. The designer also collaborated with Adidas on a capsule collection a year earlier, as part of a joint venture between the two brands.
A Love For Vintage And Contemporary Fashion
Pattinson’s love for vintage fashion is clear. He has been spotted wearing outfits reminiscent of those from the ‘70s and ‘80s in the past, and has used his social platforms to show off his unique sense of style.
The star has been particularly enamored with the ‘70s, especially when it comes to footwear. In November 2018, he shared a picture of himself wearing a pair of white sneakers, with the caption: “Matching sneaker game this week.” That followed a similar post a month earlier, where he displayed a rare glimpse of a white ostrich-feather fan, emblazoned with the slogan “Pretty in Pink” to commemorate the release of the Pink Floyd movie, The Wall.
Pattinson isn’t the only famous name to have fallen for the retro looks. In June 2018, French fashion designer Gautier Radiguet – creator of the iconic Red Hot Chili Peppers hoodie – collaborated with Adidas to celebrate the band’s 45th anniversary, and unveiled a capsule collection of clothes and accessories, including a hoodie, a tank top, and a baseball cap, with the band’s iconic face on the front. Since then, he has continued to design outfits bearing the face of bassist Flea, as well as iconic fashion houses like Dior and Louis Vuitton.
The Retro Appeal
Pattinson’s love for vintage fashion is clear. He has been spotted wearing outfits reminiscent of those from the ‘70s and ‘80s in the past, and has used his social platforms to show off his unique sense of style. Additionally, he has been credited for introducing, what some have termed, “vampire chic” to a mainstream audience, and his fashion choices in general have been praised, especially in light of the current world pandemic.
The retro appeal isn’t limited to fashion, either. Many have taken to Instagram in the past week to praise the actor for his choice of outfits, particularly his Dior-branded t-shirts with cut-off sleeves, which he sported in the image shared above. Others have gone even further, hailing Pattinson’s fashion choices as “classics” and “iconic.”
Pattinson’s fashion choices have always been something of a mystery. Although his performances in blockbuster films like Twilight have undoubtedly made him a famous face, it’s his unrivalled ability to blend vintage and contemporary fashion that has made him a favorite among fans.