Footballers. They were the perhaps surprising starting point for Olivier Rousteing’s latest venture: a collection created in collaboration with Nike. The range, which is set to be unveiled in full on June 1st, takes inspiration from the ‘off-pitch’ look of professional football players.
To ensure a certain credibility, one footballer – Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured here with Rousteing) – was on hand to advise. As one of the world’s most renowned footballers, he served as the muse and inspiration for the line. In fact, one pair of shoes that Rousteing has designed was inspired by the Mercurial Superfly that Ronaldo wears everyday on-pitch.
The collection will combine the silhouette from the reinterpretation of the Nike Football Icon signatures: N98 track jacket and 4 silos football boot with those borrowed from contemporary style, blurring the lines between the two worlds. Naturally, the Balmain creative director’s signature high-voltage, hip hop-infused glamour will be visible throughout the range – in the sleek cuts and the accents of gold.
Available on June 2nd at nike.com/nikelab and select Nikelab stores, the NikeLab x Olivier Rousteing: Football Nouveau collection comes as part of the brand’s Summer of Sport series.
Despite being at the helm of one of Paris’s most exclusive haute couture fashion houses, Rousteing has adopted a “fashion for all” approach since he was appointed in the role in 2013. “I think they feel they can relate to me,” he said in a recent Dazed interview. “My Instagram is full of young people who go, ‘I want to have your career.’ I want to spread this message of believing in yourself.”
nike.com/nikelab
