Zaha Hadid Design teams up with Swiss brand Odlo to create sleek sportswear collection

Sports underwear by Swiss technical sportswear brand Odlo and Zaha Hadid Design
Top, €90, and leggings, €90, both part of the Odlo Futureskin Base Layer collection, by Odlo and Zaha Hadid Design Set design: Olivia Clifford
(Image credit: Andy Price)

Sportswear isn’t always that sexy, but a collaboration between Swiss technical sportswear brand Odlo and Zaha Hadid Design has left us breathless. The design team has created a set of engineered base layer tops and leggings that feature Odlo’s signature innovations, including organic body mapping and seamless knitting. The two sets (one for men, one for women) feature an elastic seamless knitted texture that controls the flow of air and adapts to breathing and movement. Thanks to organic body mapping, the pieces act as a second skin, with no seams limiting flow and flexibility.

‘Initially, this collaboration might be hard to appreciate,’ says Timo Pape, Odlo’s Brand director. ‘If you look deeper at the values of both ODLO and Zaha Hadid Design, it becomes absolutely clear: Zaha Hadid Design’s philosophy around fluidity, aesthetics and design, is truly complementary to ODLO’s ethos of being the “Engineers of Active Layers since 1946.” Together, with our different lenses, we assessed how the body works and what it needs to perform, culminating in a completely new way to look at Body Mapping. We have completely changed the way our next to skin product is made and will be made, moving forward.’

The collection took shape in much the same way as most of the London practice’s projects come to life, with a combination of visual ideas and vigorous research. Sporting underwear has never been so fit.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Odlo website and the Zaha Hadid Design website

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.