Nike has built quite the reputation over the past few years for their solid collaborations with designers as part of their NikeLab division. This time around they have partnered up with famed French designer Olivier Rousteing.
Better known for re-inventing French fashion house Balmain, Rousteing apparently has always had a love affair with football (aka soccer). That’s right, Rousteing likes to bend it like Beckham and that is the inspiration for this entire capsule collection. Fittingly, the collection is called Football Nouveau.
“Fashion is usually about the catwalk and the glamour, but with Nike it was about performance and the athletes,” explains Rousteing. “What I love about this collection is that we are integrating the iconic style of football into sport style.”
The capsule collection of sporty-leaning lifestyle gear is chock full of fashion forward pieces that look good on the field or on the streets. Iconic football designs are re-imagined through re-imagined modern silhouettes and paired with luxury finishes, including touches (some subtle and some not so subtle) of gold. The capsule includes clothing such as zippered jackets, minimalist tees with pull strings and gold-detailed sweats. But the obvious MVPs in this collection are found in the footwear offerings.
First Place: NikeLab Free Hypervenom 2. This is Nike’s most agile football boot reinterpreted for the street. The upper is embellished with metallic gold and high-gloss film for a luxurious finish. The flexible Nike Free outsole helps enable the wearer’s natural motion. It’s a clean cut sneaker that has just the right mix of flash; it stands out in a crowd without making you look like a douche.
Second Place: NikeLab Roshe Tiempo VI. This shoe blends the upper of the classic football boot with the lightweight and comfortable Nike Roshe outsole. The shoe has just a hint of the metallic gold accents that are pervasive on the other pieces. The leather upper and asymmetric tongue nod to the performance boot. We dig the ever so slight leather embossing. This is the perfect minimalist piece in the collection.
Third Place: NikeLab Free Mercurial Flyknit x OR. This hightop style features the classic Flyknit upper for a sock-like fit and also features Nike Free outsole for flexible comfort. The Flyknit upper is detailed with metallic gold embroidery, but what we really love is the the gold zip that runs up the back of the heel. The leather pull-tab and metallic gold aglets add an element of luxury.
The NikeLab x Olivier Rousteing: Nouveau Football collection will be available on June 2 via nike.com.
