Earlier this week Nike unveiled the latest collaboration between the sportswear giant and its ongoing partnership with Italian couture designer Riccardo Ticsi, which officially drops today in the US market.
Tisci’s obsession with basketball is widely documented as the designer grew up playing the sport religiously, and now he’s used this inspiration to create a four-piece apparel collection as well as a completely reimagined Air Force 1 High that reflects the way stylish basketball players seamlessly transition from their on-court uniforms to chic off-court fits.
Drawing from generations of sportswear staples, Tisci’s men’s offering is filled out with key pieces like an oxford shirt, track pant, and varsity jacket that, when combined, form a hyper modern ensemble that’s equal parts sporty and stylish. “I live for sports,” Tisci says. “There’s always been sportswear in my style, and I believe the mix of sport, street and elegance is really good.”
Not happy with merely building a collection from these athletic references, Tisci also created a fictional new basketball squad where these garments would be represented: The Victorious Minotaurs. “In the ‘90s, basketball players became kind of like rock stars,” Tisci says. “But now, they’re more than rock stars. They’re superhuman — representative of historic mythology.”
The NikeLab x Riccardo Tisci Victorious Minotaurs apparel collection and Air Force 1 High drops today at NikeLab 21Mercer in NYC, October 20 in Paris, and October 21 globally at NikeLab stores and nike.com/nikelab.
