Soccer is a game built on tradition and custom. Dating back centuries, soccer has long been a game played around the world. Where several other major sports were compartmentalized to certain regions before attaining global fame, soccer has always been a worldly pleasure.
Designer Kim Jones understands the rich history of the sport exceptionally well. It’s one of the reasons why with his new collaborative collection with Nike, he’s chosen to disrupt it.
Jones’ “Football Reimagined” collection — releasing in accordance with the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup — facilitates foundational sporting garments seen through a crystallized fashion lens. Retooling jerseys, shorts and pre-match jackets, Jones leans heavily on cut to remaster the antiquated fit of the soccer kit.
New sizing with mastered proportions drastically changes how the body appears. Jones also uses this moment to embed symbolism into the collection, opting for subversion as opposed to ideology seen at the surface. The English designer looks no further than his home for inspiration, channelling London’s Kings Road by juxtaposing avant garde tailoring with contemporary sport tech.
“That whole punk era was all about proportions that gave power to the wearer,” Jones states. “I was inspired by the idea of DIY of the time — cutting up and putting things back together — to create something new.”
Where footwear is concerned, the Central St. Martins graduate looked to his favorite Swoosh silhouettes to inform the his Nike Air Max 360 Hi. “I was looking at the silhouette of the Mercurial along with my three favorite Nike shoes: The Footscape, the Vandal and the Air Max 97. Combining these into one shoe is an homage to punk, but with a super-slick end product,” Jones exclaimed.
The Kim Jones x Nike “Football Reimagined” Collection is set to release on June 7th at select retailers and on Nike.com.
