Style Footwear Sneakers

Inside the Secret Spot Where Adidas Wants to Design the Next Stan Smith

Tamim Alnuweiri

July 19, 2017

Pin It

Welcome to "Disneyland for designers."

For athleisure enthusiasts and the fitness-obsessed, spaces like Nike's awesomely over-the-top NYC headquarters are basically the grown-up versions of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. And now, on the heels of Nike showing off its swanky new space, Adidas is giving the world a look at how it makes its own sneaker magic happen—from its semi-secret Brooklyn-based "farm."

Apparently, Adidas has a branded spot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, called the Brooklyn Creator Farm, Business Insider reports. The invitation-only hub sounds a lot like an adult-friendly summer camp, but instead of using arts and crafts time to create wish sticks and friendship bracelets, designers are hard at work dreaming up the future of Adidas.

"It's meant to be a little provocative, but it's where we cultivate talent."

The farm is split into two sections: the no-assigned-seats designer's area and The MakerLab, which houses all of the actual technology and machinery needed to physically realize the designers' renderings. Consider it "Disneyland for designers," Michael Nash, manager of the lab tells Business Insider.

As for the "farm" designation: There's no livestock here, but global creative director Paul Gaudio opted for the title because he wanted the space to be "earthy and real and where you can get your hands dirty," he says. "It's meant to be a little provocative, but it's where we cultivate talent."

The talent they're cultivating includes a rotating roster of designers from all over the globe—including 17-year-olds discovered on Instagram. So if you want to get hired to dream up things like Wanderlust collaborations or new subscription box services, consider starting with your feed.

For more on how Adidas is making major industry moves, sneak a peek at the brand's best-selling sneaker styles and read all about the Adidas Originals by Alexander Wang Collection.