GANNI's excellent taste has long lured likeminded labels into its purview, like Levi's, Juicy Couture, and Ahluwalia, but arguably one of GANNI's best collaborations was with New Balance, which yielded a pair of wonderfully Y2K sneakers back in 2022.
It's about one year later and GANNI is back together with New Balance, again mining the same throwback vain to dig up neon sneaker gold with a three-part shoe collab, which debuted on August 10 at GANNI's Spring/Summer 2024 runway show during Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Ganni x New Balance 2023 encompasses two pairs of NB 1906Rs and a single bi-color NB RC30 sneaker, each spiced-up with unmissable yellow accents.
Why yellow? Well, it's fun, for one, and a tangible manifestation of optimism (a core GANNI-ism) but also because tennis star, New Balance ambassador and veritable style icon Coco Gauff co-stars with GANNI creative director Ditte Reffstrup in the GANNI x New Balance campaign imagery, illustrated to twee perfection by New York Times cartoonist Suerynn Lee and set to debut on billboards across New York, London, and Copenhagen (GANNI's home turf) ahead of the collection's imminent release date.
The collaborative shoes themselves are appreciably straightforward and neatly align with the retro-cool attitude that pervades GANNI's clothing collections.
GANNI's 1906R sneaker, for instance, wears tonal colorways that emphasize the shoe's technical glory, all mesh and plastic overlays. GANNI's RC30, meanwhile, wears a two-part colorway that's half-yellow and half-black — GANNI gave the shoe an appropriately adorable informal "bumblebee" moniker.
“We are so hyped to be launching our second collaboration with the New Balance team,” said Ditte Reffstrup, GANNI's creative director. “Honestly, we have had so much fun working on this; there is such a creative synergy between us and a lot of mutual respect for what we both bring to the table. I can’t wait to go dancing in these!”
When they all launch on August 16, the latest round of collaborative GANNI New Balances will see separate release: GANNI's New Balance 1906R ($170) drops on GANNI's web store and New Balance's website (and select stores for each) while the New Balance RC30 ($120) will be exclusive to Ganni's site and stores.
GANNI's two New Balances are a nice balance between the current zen for both technical and timeless running shoes, the former leaning into '90s functionality and the latter epitomized by old-school '70s trainers.
Gauff herself took on a classic style with her signature New Balance 327 sneakers, while the 1906R has enjoyed ample attention from collaborators like Aimé Leon Dore and limited edition drops like the "Protection Pack."
Not that GANNI's New Balance collab needs much justification: if it's GANNI, you know it's gonna be good.
