We love Nike’s Tight Of The Moment project. It’s always something truly original, pushing the boundaries of sportswear and fashion (remember the Safari Moves edition?). For the latest one, the design team looked to the East for inspiration, and for the first time partnered up with an artist, Yuko Kanatani.
For her design, Yuko was asked to tailor her illustrations to a body map provided by Nike, which shows the location of an individual’s muscles, heating and cooling zones. Rather than going for a flat design, Yuko created her collection in 3D, to match those key areas of the body. The result is a colourful, bright, circus inspired design, used on a collection of three tights (2 of these will be launched later this year), a sports bra and even the Studio Wrap Pack has been given a makeover.
“At the beginning of the project, needing to match my drawings to a moving body was quite a hurdle,” Yuko says. “But it was also very inspiring and interesting to have outside direction and try something new. Performance is typically achieved through science, but mood impacts performance as well, and since visuals influence one’s mood, I looked to create colorful and cheerful artwork. I wanted to lift the spirits, and thus the performance, of those wearing the tights.”
The result is a colourful, bright, circus-inspired print, which highlights the leg muscles and is emphasised during movement – not for the girl who loves all-black, for sure! The first drop of the collection is available to buy online now, with the remaining 2 designs rolling out in the coming months!
Magical Kaleidoscope Tights, £90
Studio Wrap Pack Magical Kaleidoscope, £130
Magical Kaleidoscope Sports Bra, £50
Buy here:
