Collabo: Nike x Undercover (Gyakusou International Running Association)

I was hipped to this inspired collaboration via highsnobiety.  I don’t know of a large corporation that integrates the ethos of the boutique design aesthetic better than Nike. Their ability to continually touch on the most relevant and innovative trends in urban and design culture is utterly inspiring and this project with the team from Undercover is no exception.  Enjoy the images and check the excerpt that details the intention of the project.  This is creative economy. 

“The design partnership fuses cutting edge Nike running innovations and design with the functionality of Takahashi’s Undercover—whose dedication to a less-but-better design philosophy mirrors Nike founder Bill Bowerman’s passion for the athletic benefits of minimalism. It amplifies levels of technical precision and intuitive function, delivering a unique and modern perspective on running by runners.

Gyakusou takes its name from a small but highly dedicated group of Tokyo-based runners – including Takahashi – who passionately run in their city. The name Gyakusou comes from ‘gyaku’ meaning wrong way or reverse and ‘sou’ meaning ‘run or running’ — a reference to the group running counter-clockwise while the rest of Tokyo’s runners run clockwise in the city’s parks. It draws upon a shared obsession for design innovation and improving the performance of the athlete.

For the inaugural Fall/Holiday 10 collection, Nike and Takahashi also focused on colors. Wanting to provide an alternative to traditional running neons and brights, the result sees subtle colors that Takahashi describes “reflect a harmony with nature” fused with reflective safety details and a recurring red trim inspired by the artery vein — part of performance’s physical foundations.”

JNOMICS