With less than six months until the London 2012 Olympic Games get under way, adidas Originals is looking back in time to celebrate its enduring partnership with Team GB. It began during the games of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, in which adidas sponsored Team GB for the first time. Daley Thompson, Sebastian Coe and Tessa Sanderson each took home gold medals from those games, and adidas Originals is using the kits worn by that historic 1984 team as inspiration for a new archive collection. The centerpiece is the No. 398 tee, an homage to the jersey Daley Thompson wore when he won the decathlon gold medal, which is joined by the classic Firebird Track Top in white with red and blue detailing, and nylon Paneled Windbreaker in red and blue. The apparel side of the collection is rounded out by additional track jackets, all featuring the classic adidas Trefoil logo and Team GB flag. On the footwear front, there’s the Gazelle Indoor in Dark Indigo, Tobacco in Airforce Blue and Handball 5 Plug in classic Team GB colors. Look for the special archive collection to land at adidas Originals retailers this month.

Nike is reissuing the signature shoe of the first athlete to ever sign a contract with the company (for a whopping $5,000 back in 1974), as well as the first track athlete to wear the brand’s shoes in competition. That person was Steve Prefontaine, and the sneaker is the Nike Pre Montreal Racer, featuring classic suede and nylon construction that deftly recalls its 1970s origins. The shoe is finished with Nike’s custom vintage treatment for a worn, distressed look, extending even to the historic waffle tread that’s made to appear as if it’s accrued some serious mileage. The Nike Pre Montreal is available now through France’s Rice & Beans, as well as Nikestore.com for stateside shoppers.

Representing the fashion forward arm of the trefoil brand, adidas SLVR has unveiled a video offering a taste of what’s to come from its Spring/Summer 2012 range. Shot by Willy Vanderperre, the clip is infused with a retro ’80s feel, thanks to its quick cuts and lo-fi effects, plus the stark black and white footage that gives way to vivid pop colors. The collection takes inspiration from fencing, drawing parallels between the tailored pieces and crisp white uniforms, as well as the focused precision of the sport itself. The concept is subtly expressed — that this a collection not meant for sport, but of it, and in an arena where artistry counts. Check out the video after the click.

Chitose Abe’s pedigree as an alum of Comme des Garcons is readily apparent in Sacai’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection. Once again, the assortment of patterned knitwear is front and center as the highlight of the various layered looks, seen in appropriately heavyweight shawl collared cardigans and slouchy plaid trousers. Muted earthy hues make up the full extent of the color palette, and the silk-like patterned tops and matching pants represent the high-concept spectrum of a very wearable range. Recurring Nordic prints and wide glen plaids provide classic appeal to some unfamiliar terrain — like woven shirts finished with a nylon drawstring waistband — and foretell the eventual end of Sacai as a cult menswear brand.

Acne’s collection started with predominantly dark colors, highlighted by a black faux leather jacket layered over a black quilted nylon coat and matched with black ankle-grazing trousers. The looks comprised a symposium on layering, with longer hems hanging below shorter ones, and seemingly incongruent fabrications paired together in an uneasy alliance, all without unnecessary bulk or unwieldy proportions. The black shades eventually gave way to bursts of burgundy, copper, bright red and army green, and featured a collision of patterns and textures, before giving way again to black. The collection seemed to offer something for everyone, from slouchy mohair sweaters to sharply tailored topcoats, while maintaining the easy to wear, cobbled-together aesthetic that’s become something of a hallmark for the Swedish brand.

For sheer entertainment value, Thom Browne won men’s Fashion Week in Paris hands down. The tableau was a nightmare cartoon vision of a high school pep rally in which jocks squared off against punks. The jocks were shoulder-padded Frankenstein monsters who lurched down the runway in standard preppy patterns run amok — cable-knit cashmere polos, nautical themed sweaters, a bright seafoam plaid suit with matching argyles socks. The punks were outfitted in suits shrunken down even more drastically than the typical Thom Browne silhouette, as well as bondage accessories straight from the Robert Mapplethorpe collection. Sure, there were supremely wearable pieces beneath the pomp and circumstance, like the scarves and ties, or some of the slim-fitting trousers, but this was more spectacle than exposition. For those in attendance, the show provided ample amusement to round out the week.