AVIA®: Research and Development
First assignment for AVIA International was based on extensive and detailed research in their archives. In order to craft what would be the relaunch of the AVIA's Premium Goods, we listened to the popular demand and carefully worked on a plan to bring Avia back.
If you were around for the mid-’80s golden era of basketball, then you’ll already be aware of the impact that AVIA had on-court, ultimately contributing to the culture as a whole. It was around this time that sportspeople started making their claim on trendsetting, a title previously obtained solely by off-court icons.
Despite re-launching during an age that lends heavily to mass-production and maximizing profit, we wanted to keep AVIA true to its roots, reworking and updating designs unique to their brand-image by remaining original at heart - epitomizing an essence that enveloped an entire generation, the rise of sneaker culture. With help from an in-house archival research database, or archaeological findings if you will, models bearing unique weight and value within our modern market were set to land once more. Ultimately, earmarking the 880 as a basepoint and building out.
Considering the age and scarcity of well-preserved, untouched examples of AVIA’s prolific back-catalog, articles had to be pulled from multiple collections throughout the years, summoning a multitude of varying details that required refinement. For example, before honing in on details, it was imperative to neutralize abrasion-induced wear or oxidized sole yellowing, paying close attention to points of recurring deformation before finalizing precise lasting and panel shape data for production - accurate to those recovered from patent documents.In developing a dimensionally-accurate outsole, each detailed texture, line width, length and even the arc-angle were designed without a single millimeter for error. Relaunching AVIA was about utilizing methods both new and old when replicating one of sporting history’s most recognisable footwear brands, introducing improvements to structural integrity where necessary both visible and invisible to the naked eye, improving structural integrity alongside wearability and churning through sample, after sample, after sample.
Consider Caspsule 1 as a love letter from one footwear enthusiast to another, sharing timeless product and design with those who think, sleep and breathe footwear. Beyond two cornerstone silhouettes available to explore in more depth, Capsule 1 features a clothing capsule engineered, refined and produced together with Velour- a collection inspired by vintage sporting gear, integrating materials and designs lifted straight from the late-’80s and early-90s. To reinvigorate that craving for exclusive silhouettes and reduced availability, each model is limited to less than 1000 pairs - an ethos that shall be carried from one launch to another thus setting the tone for AVIA’s big return. By limiting the units produced, AVIA ensures an unrivaled level of quality and attention to detail, supported by original molds and an unaltered pioneering process.
