Missy Elliott's landmark Adidas endorsement deal from the early 2000s was revisited on this week's episode of the Complex Sneakers Show.
The current creative director of Puma Hoops and longtime costume designer, June Ambrose, who put together Missy's most iconic looks, was the latest guest on the show. In the episode, she reflected on her 30-year career, and among the topics discussed was working with the rapper on her Adidas deal. At the 57-minute mark, co-host Brendan Dunne asked Ambrose about the process regarding Missy's Adidas endorsement deal that birthed her iconic Respect M.E. collection.
"It was really important for Missy as an artist to be able to [have] a co-branding opportunity with a global brand like Adidas was groundbreaking," Ambrose said. "Adidas was like, 'OK, let's do something' because I had flipped it and reversed it so many times. I've taken creative privileges with their IP so many times. Always respecting the integrity of the mark and the sign-off, but they were flattered enough to give us a partnership."
Missy Elliott inked a partnership with Adidas in 2004 and launched her Respect M.E. collection with the brand in the fall of that year. The lineup included sneakers, a range of apparel, and accessories, with a portion of the sales benefiting the nonprofit organization Break the Cycle, whose mission was to identify and prevent domestic violence. Check out the full episode of the Complex Sneakers Show with Ambrose above.
