Adidas Originals' Senior Global Menswear Designer Barmak Badaei didn't exactly set out to work for the brand—he and his wife originally planned to stay in Portland for just two weeks—but with his hip-hop roots and background in apparel, Badaei ended up being a perfect fit for the role.
"After we moved, we would frequently drive passed the adidas headquarters on our way to Cathedral Park with the kids and eventually it hit me," Badaei said in a new interview with Highsnobiety. "This is it, this is the brand that started it for me, this is the legacy that shaped my aspirations as first a b-boy and ultimately as a designer."
Badaei got started in design in 1999, launching the streetwear brand Scifen out of his parent's garage. Scifen picked up steam during the 2000s, but he eventually decided to move onto a new endeavor, which ultimately became adidas Originals.
"There is no luck with design. I think that’s too easy. You have to want it, work hard for it and be patient to allow it to happen on its own and never give up, this is why it’s called a 'dream,'" he said.
This December, Badaei will launch a new apparel collection to compliment the vast adidas Tubular range. Head over to Highsnobiety to read the full interview.
