Interview: Liad Krispin

Li-Ning

Founded in 1990, Li-Ning is the second biggest domestic Chinese sports brand and one you’ve possibly never even heard of. A few decades deep in the athletics game and the brand hit speed-bumps in the 2010s, losing sales and prestige as creative apathy stymied progression. In 2017, Li-Ning relaunched with acclaimed runway shows at Paris and New York Fashion Week. The sci-fi footwear vibes might be inspired by a galaxy far, far away from the sporting field, but the resulting noise radically repositioned Li-Ning as a trailblazer in ‘anything goes’ ultra-modernism. Fashion might be the tiny tip of the product pyramid, but there’s no arguing with Li-Ning’s profit, which has surged 187 per cent in the first half of 2021! One of the architects of the repositioning is Liad Krispin, whose resume includes a well-timed stint at adidas Y3. Time to find out if all roads do lead to China as we take a closer look at Li-Ning’s highlights reel.