Adidas NEO | Denim Outdoors

ADIDAS NEO CHAMBRAY SHIRT & DENIM JACKET / LEVI'S 511 SKINNY JEANS

The beginning of March beckons that transitional period of spring sunshine and what we hope to be the last of winter's bite. Although there is no longer a need to wrap ourselves in a hundred layers, picnic weather is a long time coming, and a warm coat or jacket is still a sensible choice when venturing out into the great outdoors. My favourite outerwear for a bright yet chilly weekend is an Adidas NEO denim jacket, made with padded lining and a shearling collar for additional warmth.

ADIDAS NEO SHIRT / TOPMAN SUNGASSES / DANIEL WELLINGTON WRISTWATCH

adidas NEO sneakers

My new Adidas NEO gear didn't arrive in time for my Miami weekend, but I am still as excited to introduce a fresh measure of streetwear to my wardrobe - directly contrasting with my tendency for smarter attire. My favourite items are a pair of suede sneakers in a striking red & white colourway. When I was a young boy, I thought red trainers looked horrendous. It's funny how opinions can change with time.

Bieber Fever

Hysteria, idolisation, fanaticism. These three words perfectly encompass the collective of Justin Bieber fans at his concert in Miami. As a "non-Belieber", I was terrified as I was intrigued by the social phenomenon, which first revealed itself hours before the concert began. The thought on my mind is this: does Justin truly realise the power he has over his adolescent worshippers?

There was so much screaming - before, during and after the concert. Whilst queuing outside, girls were screaming at such a high pitch, it was almost inaudible to human ears. I was half-expecting a pack of dogs to come tearing towards the arena. And that was only a hundred girls spotting Justin Bieber's guitarist or stylist, let alone the main man himself. Nothing prepared me for the volume inside the arena.

The screams of 20,000 teenagers thundered in my eardrums whenever "Justin Bieber" was mentioned by somebody on the stage. Then Justin arrived himself, and the arena erupted. The air was rife with excitement and the raging hormones of adolescent girls, who all had a subconsciously primal urge to mount this nineteen year old boy, even if they were too young to understand the circle of life.

For these infatuated and impressionable young people, Justin Bieber represents an alpha male on a very instinctive level. They recognise qualities that would make Justin a prime leader, while girls specifically recognise qualities that would make Justin a good mate. This is what I speculate to be the essence of Bieber Fever. Add the facts that he is young, likeable, a musician, and constantly in the public eye - the end product is mass hysteria.

These Beliebers, as a collective, are such devout fans, they are at the mercy of Justin's influence, even if he is not aware of it himself. While there are hundreds of thousands of people who inherently despise him, millions adore him to a point where they worship his image in their bedrooms, follow his leadership on Twitter, and gather in mass at concerts worldwide. One could argue Justin Bieber has the effect of a god.

From personal experience, this fanaticism is terrifying. When the Adidas NEO team were handing us meet-and-greet wristbands, a swarm of Beliebers surrounded us, pleading and begging. Some even attempted to snatch the bands from us, while others refused to move away, hopeful that we might have a spare. It was a moment of insanity, and I saw the hunger and yearning desperation in these fans' eyes. Delinquent youths may have incited riots in London two summers ago, but I would be genuinely more scared of the teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert.

At the end of it all, Justin Bieber is simply a teenage boy with a successful singing career. As a non-Belieber, I find the scale of his fandom rather excessive, but I can accept why he is admired as a performer - an amazing voice, incredible dance moves, instrumental skill on the guitar and drums, and a charming charisma with the crowds.

That said, I do I have a couple of requests of him...

1) Your lyrics state that in order to be your out-of-town girl, "all you have to do is swag". Please, what does that even mean? 

2) When you eventually put your top back on at the end of the concert, pull your trousers up while you are at it. You look ridiculous.

Farewell, Miami

This past weekend has come and gone so quickly. From embarking on my first solo flight, to experiencing the hysteria of a Justin Bieber concert, my get-away to Miami was surreal to say the least. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every minute.

Perhaps the oddest observation was that only a week previously, I was stomping through a very cold and snowy England. To have gone from that to sunshine and 26°C has made this January very unique. Miami genuinely has the perfect winter weather, and that alone is enough to encourage my return.

There is so much I could talk about while the memories are fresh, but I won't ramble, else I may never finish writing this blog post. Tomorrow, I will publish my insight into the terrifying yet curious phenomenon that is Bieber Fever, along with a few photos from the concert. As a non-Belieber, I hope I can offer an exclusive perspective.

In the meantime, I desperately need a good night's sleep. Despite having slept through the entire return flight to London Heathrow, jet lag caught up with me big time today. I don't think I have ever wanted my bed more.

Jasmin, Miami Beach

Jasmin, fashion blogger at 'My Berlin Fashion', is my reporter partner for Adidas NEO's Miami competition. We spent this morning wandering the beach, taking photos, saving stranded jellyfish, and chasing seagulls. Jasmin wears Adidas NEO sneakers and jumper.

The Everglades

Everglades National Park is an expanse of nearly 1.5 million acres, famous for its population of American alligators, allegedly the smartest reptiles on the planet. Not smart enough, however, as "gator nuggets" were on today's lunch menu! It is true what people say about alligator meat - it does taste like chicken, if a little meatier.

Welcome to Miami

Hello from Miami! This weekend is looking to be an absolute blast, and I really cannot thank Adidas NEO Label enough for this overwhelming opportunity. You can follow my tweets and Instagram photos from Miami Beach, Everglades National Park, and Justin Bieber's 'Believe' concert. Do also follow my counterpart, Jasmin of 'My Berlin Fashion', for her reportage of this weekend's packed schedule.

Miami

As a final-year journalism student, 2013 is looking to be an insanely busy year for me. However, among all my academic and journalistic responsibilities, I have been offered a massive opportunity, one which I could never have passed up.

I had to read the e-mail twice before I fully absorbed what was written. No word of a lie, Unlimited by JK is heading to Miami, where - as a reporter for Adidas NEO - I shall be meeting global superstar Justin Bieber.

Because the final details are still being arranged, I cannot tell you much about the trip at this current time. However, I can confirm I will be in Miami for the final weekend of January 2013, which is not long to wait.

I hope I can treat you all to a plethora of Miami street style upon my return, plus even more photos from the trip itself - hopefully included in those a couple of shots of and with Justin Bieber. I can imagine it will be a surreal experience indeed.

adidas NEO: What's in my bag?

Having decided that my "NEO face" was sufficiently wonderstruck, Adidas NEO have put me through to the second round of their Miami competition. Two lucky bloggers will win an all-expenses paid trip to Florida to meet the face of Adidas NEO, Justin Bieber, and the chance to report on the entire experience.

For this second task, I have been set a "what's in my bag?" challenge, for which I should present creatively the essential items I would take to Miami. To help me out, I have been generously sent a plaid rucksack from Adidas NEO's autumn collection.

Thinking outside my usual parameters, I decided on a stop-motion video. I will admit the final result isn't the pinnacle of perfection, but the desired illusion of my essential items crawling into the bag proved successful. And although it involved six hours of shooting, editing and uploading, the potential prize is worth every minute.

Miami essentials include (in order of appearance): laptop computer, Sony α DSLR camera with Carl Zeiss 28mm lens, Minolta 100-300mm lens, Sony α 18-55mm lens, Adidas NEO notebook and pen, shorthand pad, wallet, passport, phone, Spitfire sunglasses, business cards, Amazon Kindle, Fish Soho styling gel and wax, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Of course, there is so much more I would take with me to Miami, but these are the items I would be sure to take for reporting duties, networking, leisure, and maintaining a decent appearance. I just hope the means of presentation succeeds in impressing the team at Adidas NEO Label - wish me luck!

(P.S. You can equally try your luck at winning an all-expenses paid trip to Miami, in the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition. Visit the Adidas NEO Facebook page to learn more.)

Adidas NEO competition

Oh look, it's my face. However, there is a legitimate reason for my mad expression... Adidas NEO are holding a competition to send two lucky bloggers to Miami! And for the first round, they want to see my "NEO face" - the face I would pull if I found out I had won this amazing opportunity. So here it is in its wide-eyed and messy-haired glory. (Although I never know half the time what expressions I am actually pulling.)

So why a trip to Miami? In collaboration with Justin Bieber, Adidas NEO have launched the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition, by which locating the limited edition gold sneakers hidden on the internet could win you an all-expenses paid trip to Miami to meet the global superstar. Adidas NEO are thus offering two bloggers the chance to report on the whole trip and win a pair of gold sneakers for themselves. Sounds pretty sweet, don't you think?

In any case, there isn't much you can do to aid my chances of getting into the second round - that is completely down to my speechless face pictured above. But if you fancy taking part in the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition, visit the Adidas NEO Facebook page.

(Image source: adidas.co.uk/neo)