Nike and menswear designer have revealed a collection of apparel and footwear tapping into the dad wardrobe mania sweeping the category as of late. “We took a silhouette based on a very British tracksuit that you might get in JD Sports,” Rose told British Vogue. “Then, we created a trainer inspired by Nike’s Monarch style, which is a very middle-America-dad trainer.”
While inspired by dads, the silhouettes and the shoe are rooted in the shapes of athletes. Rose explained, “We looked at how [athletes’] bodies develop according to their profession, in particular basketball players. I imagined how I would have to alter the fit of Michael Jordan’s tracksuit if I was to wear it.”
The Monarch (offered in white with a silver Swoosh or a monochromatic pink) in particular stands out because a protruding bump on the lateral side of the shoe resembling a giant corn. Rose explained it was inspired by athlete shoe molds and went on to praise Nike for being open to creating a “strange, beautiful, object.”
The Nike and Rose collection will make its debut in London and will be launched through online classified as site Craigslist. Rose has enlisted as sellers an oddball group that includes London Steve, who lives on the same cul-de-sac where she showed her last collection; Tesfa, a 19-year-old Nike trainer; and Surya, a photography student whose ferrets are featured in lookbook images. Interested buyers will negotiate the sale on the site and then travel to the agreed upon location to pick up their items.
While Nike hasn’t provided further details, it’s a good bet the Craiglist sale will be followed by a wider launch.
Check out the lookbook below.
