“Taking Anta from the running track to the city street” is how Kris Van Assche summed up his new collaboration with the Chinese activewear giant, which conscripted him to help rev up its nascent Anta Zero sub-brand.
The project allowed the Belgian designer to apply his tailoring prowess and soigné touch to a slate of sustainable fabrics for the Anta Zero project, which has already developed carbon-neutral sweatshirts and opened a carbon-neutral store in Shanghai.
It also allowed Van Assche to design what will be his next winter coat: a belted, double-breasted puffer topcoat that exemplifies how he merged form and function to create a hybrid style you might call ath-elegant.
Dressy puffers by Kris Van Assche for Anta Zero.
Julien Martinez Leclerc/Courtesy of Anta
Anta, which boasts some 7,000 stores in China, is sure to gain greater international renown for tapping Van Assche, who’s well known for his past roles as creative director of Berluti and Dior Homme, in addition to his namesake brand.
The designer remarked that it’s something of a full-circle moment for him: “In 2005, when I launched my brand, it was three-piece suits worn with white sneakers. Now I’m making suits with a sportswear brand.”
Anta is to unveil Van Assche’s coed collection Tuesday in Shanghai. It spans parkas in mushroom leather, snazzy warm-up jackets with vegan leather piping; flaring windbreaker dresses; sculpted puffer pea coats, and inventive takes on the hoodie, sometimes cropped and flaring like a bolero, or extended into a skater dress to wear over leggings.
In an exclusive interview, Van Assche said he was attracted to the challenge of applying his luxury experience and streetwear sensitivity to a sustainable collection with accessible price points.
“They have the know-how of sports, tech, and sustainable fabrications, and they have such a large distribution that they can offer good quality at a low price point,” he enthused about Anta. “So I felt it was very interesting.”
Flicking through photos of the collection taken by his longtime collaborator Julien Martinez Leclerc, Van Assche explained that tailored coats are made with double-face jersey, the button holes heat sealed rather than stitched, and shirts and ties realized in a recycled nylon and polyester fabric.
Meanwhile, more identifiably “active” pieces such as sweatshirts or track pants are elevated with couture-esque volumes, vegan leather trims or unexpected color combinations.
“The look feels elevated Parisian chic, but the fabrication is completely sports,” Van Assche explained, also pointing to drawstrings and other activewear details. “These clothes really have this double function to them. You can wear them on the street and to more elevated events, or you can wear them for your active, sporty life.”
Floral prints are among signatures Kris Van Assche brought to his collaboration with Anta Zero.
Julien Martinez Leclerc/Courtesy of Anta
In addition, Van Assche said he was seduced by the clear positioning of Anta Zero, its sustainable credentials, and the scale and speed of the Anta company.
Backpacks, trapunto-stitched hats and monochromatic sneakers round out the range. Retail prices for overseas markets are expected to range from about 90 to 490 euros for clothing, 40 to 120 euros for accessories, and 80 to 120 euros for sneakers.
The fall 2025 Anta Zero collection spans 51 styles across 106 colorways, and will be available in stores from November.
Anta is expected to offer Van Assche’s designs at 40 select Anta locations, and its online store. A pop-up in Europe is in the pipeline.
Kris Van Assche
Courtesy of Anta
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Jinjiang, Anta is billed as the one of the world’s largest activewear companies by revenue, and markets large selections of clothing and footwear for running, outdoors, training and basketball, including a line by NBA star player Kyrie Irving.
Last year, revenues at Anta Sports, which also markets the Fila brand, rose 13.6 percent to reach 70.83 billion renminbi, or 8.47 billion euros.
Since exiting Berluti in 2021, Van Assche has taken on an array of different design projects, including childrenswear for Chinese kidswear giant Balabala; vases and candy dishes for Belgian homewares firm Serax, and bronze vessels for the Laffanour Galerie Downtown in Paris.
He said he relished the opportunity to flex his tailoring muscles, and to discover the advanced fabrics Anta employs, including Aerovent Zero, billed as China’s first PFAS-free waterproof and breathable membrane, EcoCosy fibers that can biodegrade in less than a month under controlled conditions, and Mulkol vegan leather, which Van Assche said could almost pass for the real thing.
“This is not merely a collection of products, but an answer to the question: Why does the world need Anta?” Tsui Yeung, chief executive officer of Anta Brand, said in a statement. “We will fulfill our commitment to sustainable development through action and respond with greater confidence to the needs of the global market.”
A flaring parka and wide-legged pants in Mulkol vegan leather.
Julien Martinez Leclerc/Courtesy of Anta
