July
17
2013
By
of Valet.
Behind the Seams

Todd
Snyder

+

Champion

Menswear fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Todd Snyder's collaboration with Champion since previews of the collection hit the web earlier this year. Of course, no one was more excited than Snyder himself. A devoted fan of the storied American athletic brand (with a staggering personal collection to prove it), he pursued Champion on his own in hopes of an opportunity to revive the nearly century-old brand's style. The ruggedly vintage collection is now available for pre-sale and here's how it came to be, in the designer's own words.

 
 
My first Champion sweatshirt ...

I bought it from the book store at Iowa State University and really, I wore it all the time—to the gym, to class or with my Levis over a button-down oxford shirt.

 
This is something I've wanted to do
for a while.

Champion is a great American brand and I basically chased them for about two years until I met Ned Munroe, their Chief Creative Officer. We really hit it off and he's the one that made this collaboration possible. We talk all the time now and are constantly showing off our collections to each other.

 
I've been collecting Champion for 15 years.

I now I have over 2,000 pieces that I've collected over the years from my travels around the world. It's the only way to find the rarest styles, really. A lot are in Japan—where you can always find great Americana.

 
  •  
    Snyder based the designs off his own vintage pieces along with Champion's old sales catalogs.
Reinventing archival pieces ...
 

Sweatshorts,
$115

I updated the fit, of course, but I also thought we should add some cool design details. My favorite is the chest pocket on the sweatshirt. The garment-dyed colors are more of a downtown vibe with a boxing theme. It's a little more gritty—I called it "city gym." And then we finished them with the label Champion used in the 1950s.

Pocket sweatshirt, $130

(Lead Photo: Ryan Plett)

 

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