Nigo and Nike reveal a new creative chapter around the Nike Air Force 1 Low, a collaboration envisioned as an evolving series where each model tells a page from the Japanese creator's history.
After launching multiple projects around the Nike Air Force 3, the Swoosh brand teams up again with Nigo to revisit a classic from its catalog: the Nike Air Force 1 Low. The duo extends their creative dialogue around Bruce Kilgore's design with a collaboration planned over several seasons, where the Air Force 1 becomes the starting point for a more personal narrative. The goal? To dive back into a more intimate imagination, fueled by the history of the Japanese creator and his early influences.
Photo credits: Nike
To understand the direction of the first Air Force 1 Low, we need to go back to a foundational period, long before the collaborations with Nike. In the 90s, Nigo and Jun Takashi published a cult magazine chronicle: LO2. Through this editorial project, the two creators laid the groundwork for a new aesthetic language, blending underground culture with a fascination for detail in design. This dynamic, a few years later, led to the creation of NOWHERE, an iconic store in Ura-Harajuku, a true laboratory of Japanese streetwear fashion.
An Air Force 1 Rich in History
This first interpretation of the Air Force 1 by Nigo is directly rooted in this heritage. The model incorporates visual elements from the LO2 universe, subtly integrated. In terms of design, Nigo and Nike unveil a base inspired by an OG version of the Air Force 1 Low, recognizable by its cut and structure that are more elongated than current iterations. This choice enhances the retro aspect of the project. But that's not all. The duo gives a nod to Nigo's visual experiments early in his career with a patent leather upper.
Photo credits: Nike
For Nigo, this collaboration goes beyond just reimagining an iconic silhouette. It acts as a direct continuation of his creative journey. “To my knowledge, the Air Force 1 is one of the few silhouettes in the world that can truly be called a timeless classic,” he states for Nike. “I never imagined I would one day express my own style through the Air Force 1.”
A Collection Designed as a Journey
Beyond this first release, Nike and Nigo are already envisioning the collaboration as a series of variations of the Air Force 1, each inspired by memories, encounters, and key moments in the Japanese creator's career. The idea isn't just to multiply colorways, but to build a narrative thread, where each chapter traverses different influences and periods of the designer.
An almost autobiographical approach. The Air Force 1 Low becomes a medium for personal expression, a creative mapping where Nigo's journey is read through the details and references scattered throughout the models. Over the seasons, the collaboration between the two partners is set to explore different facets of his universe, from the Japanese streetwear scene to the connections woven with musical culture, along with the encounters that have shaped his path.
The Nigo x Nike Air Force 1 Low will be unveiled on May 1st at the Design Museum in London, during the exhibition “NIGO: From Japan With Love”. The global release will follow the next day, available on humanmade.jp as well as at Undercover Aoyama.