Orchard Street has been a staple in New York city since its inception in 2003. Named after the once sartorially relevant street in the lower east side of Manhattan, the brand has tiptoed around the tastemaker scene for years.
Their new collection for Reebok takes inspiration from basketball lifestyle and is a throwback to the roots of streetwear with modern updates in the form of two brand new performance shoes, the Omni Hex Ride and the Re-Up Lux. When I first got the details on this project I was surprised by the footwear choices. Not that I had preconceived notions, but retro Pumps would seem to have been the obvious choice when working with Reebok.
Not subscribing to the ‘pick the popular shoe’ code others live by, OS bravely chose new school cool. Truth be told, using a new performance model instead of a tried and tested silhouette is risky business.
Are the people ready?
I think so. The epic scourge of the retro flood has almost subsided and The Ark will soon be on its way to safely deliver retro sneaks to sanctuary in pairs. The Pump Omni Hexride is the centrepiece of the Orchard Street Reebok collection, but let’s not forget that it’s literally the tip of the iceberg. The apparel collection is what makes it bigger than Ben Hur, comprising everything from warm-up jackets to tees, pullover fleeces, gym bags and of course, brand new shoes dipped in liquid OS for that mint taste. Without going into too much detail I’ll just put it like this,
Orchard Street is bringing it back to the era of ‘athletic cool’ and ‘performance fashion’. You could call it design with a purpose. Praise the Lord!
Words :: Frank the Butcher
The Reeboks are available from here.
