Karlie Kloss On Her Adidas Collab & Her Fave Workouts

Karlie Kloss is not done making waves. The supermodel, Kode With Klossy program founder, and Project Runway host has co-created her first collection with Adidas, her longtime brand partner. The soon-to-launch Adidas x Karlie Kloss Spring/Summer ‘21 collection embodies the entrepreneur’s passion for empowering strong women with its functional activewear staples.

“There’s so much synergy with Adidas around this passion for sport and the important role it can play in feeling your best and performing your best,” Kloss tells Bustle. “I love the message that we’re sending through this collection, as it helps other young women realize the importance of that in their life and how that can translate into every aspect of what they do.”

The Adidas x Karlie Kloss collection, which officially launches Dec. 1, features activewear essentials like high-waisted leggings, sports bras, breezy tops, (really cute) sneakers, plus multifunctional layering pieces like the neon-hued flared pants and Wind.Rdy parka. Everything's made with Adidas' sweat-wicking AEROREADY fabric along with recycled materials through a collab with PRIMEBLUE and PRIMEGREEN, two sustainable manufacturing organizations.

Kloss, wearing the collection's bright orange parka during our video interview (it’s super chic, BTW), says she’s most excited about the collection empowering people to feel more confident as they pursue their ambitions. “Confidence, for me, comes from taking care of my body and my mind,” she says. “Through this collection, we want young women to have the confidence, no matter what they’re walking into, as they wear both fashionable and functional [clothing] with sustainable fabrics.” Kloss dubs the clothing line “evolved basics.”

Kloss adds that staying active is important for both her physical and mental health, which partly inspired the versatile performance wear. “How I approach being an athlete in my life is with a strong body, strong mind mentality,” she says. As a runner who’s completed a marathon in the past — something she says was “the most rigorous thing I’ve ever signed up for” — Kloss emphasizes tapping into one's own mental strength when chasing your goals. "Being able to achieve big dreams and big ambitions is not just about giving it your all at one time — it’s about being consistent every single day, and waking up with the mentality of pushing yourself to grow, to get stronger, to get smarter, and to learn from your mistakes. That, to me, is what being an athlete is about — that personal growth.”

Of course, this philosophy goes against the traditional grain of the modeling industry, which is known for promoting thinness. “My wellness philosophy has evolved as I’ve gotten older, because it’s so much more about how I feel than how I look," says Kloss, who’s been modeling since she was 14. “As a model, I certainly felt the pressure to look a certain way, but wellness to me is so much more about wellness than it is fitness. It incorporates a healthy mind, healthy body, and a healthy lifestyle in every aspect.” Now, she has a holistic approach on taking care of herself from the inside-out. “I like to take time just to sleep,” Kloss says jokingly of her go-to recovery method.

“Being able to achieve big dreams and big ambitions is not just about giving it your all at one time — it’s about being consistent every single day."

Kloss has gotten creative with her workouts during quarantine. “Depending on the weather, I love to go for runs outside,” she says. “I’m a big fan of running because it’s something you can do anywhere.” She’s also been turning to YouTube, much like the rest of the country. “I’ve been loving doing virtual bodyweight workouts, and… don’t laugh at me, but I like dance workouts. I’ve also been loving Tracy Anderson, and doing yoga on the YouTube channel ‘Yoga with Adriene.’”

Ultimately, whether it's through her Adidas collection or her coding program, Kloss' intent is to help other women achieve their goals. "It's something I've been thinking about a lot, just the parallels around why more women aren't in tech, and the barriers that exist," says Kloss, nodding to her work with Kode With Klossy. "I want to eliminate those barriers to girls in sport, whether it's in your own head telling yourself that you can't do it or you're not good enough. All you need is the will to do it — it all comes back to a strong mind." That, and the right action-ready wardrobe, of course.