New Balance x Auralee Collaboration

New Balance

Announcing a Capsule Collection of Footwear and Apparel

New Balance and AURALEE have joined forces to launch their first capsule collection of footwear and apparel. The collection will be available exclusively in Japan starting Saturday, February 8, 2020, at AURALEE's directly managed stores, New Balance Roppongi 19:06, and select United Arrows locations.

Text by ELESINMETA Yuka

Refined Design Meets Functionality: A Fusion of Both Brands' Strengths

AURALEE, a Tokyo-based brand, pursues material excellence through carefully selected raw materials and Japan's premier production infrastructure, offering sophisticated and refined items.

While a collaboration with "TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO New Balance," a brand developed by New Balance, took place in 2019, this marks a joint effort with New Balance itself.

The capsule collection features one footwear model and three apparel items, blending AURALEE's design sensibility—rooted in its commitment to materials and production—with New Balance's functional expertise and quality cultivated over its 114-year history.

The footwear is a collaborative model based on the "COMP100." Crafted with textured leather and unified in a single tone from the tongue to the logo and heel tab, its minimalist design is captivating. The slightly longer tongue is also a distinctive feature. Available in two nuanced shades: light green and smoky brown.

For the apparel, the collection utilizes WHOLEGARMENT technology from SHIMA SEIKI, the developer of whole garment knitting, creating seamless, three-dimensional pieces knitted entirely on the machine.

The tops are relaxed, oversized knits, offered in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve versions. Their gentle, rounded silhouette is achieved through the traditional Fair Isle knitting technique, creating a soft impression. These are designed for unisex wear.

The bottoms, in AURALEE's signature elegant color palette, are a single pair of full-length relaxed-fit pants. Their silhouette is designed to pair perfectly with the sneakers.

Both the tops and bottoms are made from a cotton blend incorporating moisture-wicking, quick-drying functional yarn, ensuring a dry, comfortable feel. A special reflective yarn is knitted into the back as a design accent, enhancing visibility at night.