Look out, world. Nike is in the process of innovating and reinventing its products as they change the look of Nike’s women’s collection with four new partnerships.
NikeLab x Sacai will be the first to hit the stores. It blends Nike classic shoes and clothing in an 8-piece women’s collection utilizing new expressions of fashionable materials, structure and color.
Prepare yourself for the unexpected — and lots of neon threads.
World renowned Japanese designer, Chitose Abe, is the mastermind behind the project. Her sporty urban designs have been changing the face of the fashion industry since the founding of her brand Sacai in 1998. Abe owns 100 percent of her fashion empire, allowing her creative instincts to run free.
Prior to Sacai, Abe worked at Comme des Garçons as a pattern cutter under Rei Kawakubo and caught the attention of 15 clients outside of Japan, such as Anna Wintour and Biffi in Milan.
Abe was on the Business of Fashion’s list of 500 people who shape the global fashion industry for 2013 and 2014.
The Sacai collection uses two different styles of Nike’s iconic Tech Fleece, and a newly innovated mesh is used on the graphic t-shirts.
The collection also includes new and enhanced versions of Nike’s Air Max and Dunk sneakers. Slip-ons and wedges will be making an appearance as well.
“I’ve always been inspired by classics,” Abe states in Nike press release. “Working with traditional silhouettes and ideas that often come from utility or performance-based sportswear, I’m interested in creating new hybrids that combine different fabrics and shapes to create an unexpected yet wearable result.”
The Sacai collection’s global release is scheduled for Thursday, March 19.
“Our excitement to work with Chitose was really born from her unique understanding of form and silhouette,” said Kurt Parker, vice president and creative director of Nike Sportswear, in an interview with The Business of Fashion. “Many of her collections have inspired the design team at Nike, through her elegant and graceful application of materials.”
Repurposing the classic style and structure of Nike’s Men Apparel, Abe crafted more modern and feminine designs. For example, she took a 30-year-old nylon Windrunner jacket and recasted it as a skirt.
Nike also recently announced collaborations with young Brazilian designer Pedro Lourenco who made his first appearance at Paris Fashion week in 2010 and designer Johanna F. Schneider from Berlin, who specializes in high fashion women’s sportswear.
Follow @NikeLab for updates on its upcoming collections.
Follow Hailey Geller on Twitter @hgeller30.