“You can spot people from Pigalle,” says 15-year-old Mamadou, one of the local basketball kids that inspired Stéphane Ashpool’s new collection for his brand of the same name. The notorious Parisian quartier, home to the Moulin Rouge and countless theatres and sex shops, has more recently become a streetwear mecca, thanks largely to Pigalle.
After playing professional basketball for many years, Ashpool – a Pigalle native – wanted to design clothes that reflected his diverse urban environment. Inspired by this backdrop and the growing popularity of the sport, he worked to transform his area into a community of creatives, turning an old car park into the now iconic basketball court on Rue Duperré, and reflecting the stylistic elegance of the streets in his collections. The brand was a hit with young people on the streets, leading to a new collaboration with Nike.
A thrilling mash-up of colours and textures, the resulting Nike x Pigalle collection is a reflection of the two worlds that Ashpool and Nike know best – sports and fashion. “Streetwear and sportswear have always been the uniform of the streets, and my street is Pigalle,” says Ashpool. “We work hard, we play ball – and we have style.”
The NikeLab x Pigalle collection is available beginning June 27 at select NikeLab retailers and on nike.com/nikelab
