NikeLab is not merely a Swoosh subsidiary. As Nike puts it, it’s a “platform for creative exploration.” NikeLab explores not just on its own, but often by partnering with the best and brightest in the fashion industry to accomplish true synergy; the kind of sartorial singularity that, ironically, can’t be achieved by itself.
The NikeLab x Sacai collection represents just such an endeavor, marrying together Nike’s iconic athletic silhouettes — its knowledge of the body-in-motion — and Sacai and founder Chitose Abe’s renowned ability to reimagine classic pieces.
Abe explored the depths of Nike’s archives and came out with a handful of items that would meld beautifully with her forward-thinking sensibilities. At the center of the collection is Nike’s Tech Fleece, reinterpreted to yield five different silhouettes in two different weights — the crew sweatshirt, crew hooded sweatshirt, crew top, crew knee-length dress and sweatpants.
Modern expressions of femininity then update each piece, such as the mesh-lace hem that appears on the graphic “NIKE” T-shirts, and the sleek, stylish bonded zippers attached sans stitching.
Those aesthetic updates are paired with an overall devotion to fluid movement, to the body in motion. Abe updates the classic Nike Windrunner with a skirt construction and plissé-style pleating, for example, while a hooded sweatshirt is hit with peplum detail. Top to bottom, pieces boast head-turning juxtaposition, as seemingly ornamental pleats or capes give way to sheer functionality; fluid movement, breathable mesh paneling, or the like.
The NikeLab x Sacai Spring 2015 collection releases March 19 at select NikeLab destinations worldwide, followed by a March 25 in launch. The eight primary apparel pieces are: Tech Fleece crew, Tech Fleece hooded sweatshirt with zip, Windrunner jacket, Sport Skirt, Graphic tee, Tech Fleece dress, Tech Fleece crew top with back zip and Tech Fleece pant. An Air Max 90 Sacai will launch as well.