ASICS NOVALIS unveils its latest seasonal campaign, marking the fifth chapter of the ongoing collaboration between ASICS SportStyle and Kiko Kostadinov Studio. Moving away from conventional fashion imagery, the campaign places emphasis on craftsmanship, process, and the individuals who bring the collection to life.
Created by photographer Brendan Barry and artist Jason Evans, the project was produced at Barry’s studio within Positive Light Projects, the community arts organisation he co-founded in Exeter. The collaboration reflects a longstanding creative relationship between the two, with Barry having previously been mentored by Evans. Together, they developed a campaign that prioritises experimentation and authenticity over polished perfection.
Evans led the conceptual direction while Barry oversaw the technical execution, employing a series of analogue photographic techniques that challenge contemporary image-making conventions. Several photographs required an entire day to create, produced as large-scale black-and-white paper negatives or one-of-a-kind colour chromogenic positive-reversal prints. Barry’s distinctive methods embrace unpredictability, allowing imperfections and physical processes to become visible elements of the final work. Images captured within the studio and darkroom further reinforce this approach, revealing the making of the photographs as part of the narrative itself.
The campaign’s cast reflects the same commitment to authenticity. Rather than professional models, the portraits feature individuals whose daily lives are defined by their work and passions, including a care worker, a tree surgeon, a korfball player and an urban planner. Their presence brings a sense of lived experience to the imagery, highlighting the relationship between clothing and movement.
Designed with adaptable, unisex-oriented silhouettes, the ASICS NOVALIS collection is intended to respond to different bodies and personal styles. The resulting portraits celebrate individuality, allowing each wearer to shape the garments through their own posture, character and physicality.
