British accessories designer Tega Akinola announced that she is linking up with Nike for an official collaboration. Finally!
For those who regularly engage in fashion content on social media, Akinola's viral stash-pocketed Nike heels or fuzzy The North Face bags have probably landed on your "for you" pages once or twice.
Eyed by over 100,000 people, Akinola's Instagram is like a lookbook of her pieces, which are made from discarded, second-hand materials. The designer's Instagram documents her upcycling journey, dating back to 2018 with a pair of Nike Air Force 1s with chain laces.
Since then, the multidisciplinary artist has kept the internet hooked with everything from bucket hats made of cable wires to her current Nike collab.
For her Nike linkup, Akinola works with Nike Re-Creation, a Nike project from its Move to Zero journey dedicated to giving a second life to Nike's unsellable and excess products.
Akinola quite literally gets into her bag with her craft, reworking deadstock Nike pieces into new-again clothes and accessories. Repurposed handbags lead the collection, resulting in meshy crossbody, totes, and shoulder purses reminiscent of old-school Nike bags.
Tega Akinola x Nike also includes a split graphic tee and baggy parachute pants with reflective piping. Oh, and there's this one blazer and skirt set that looks like it was a vintage Nike windbreaker in its past life.
Every time a new Akinola creation drops, folks hit the designer with the million-dollar question: "When can we buy?" Now, you can. Akinola's official Nike collection will be up for grabs exclusively at Nike's West London store starting on March 16.
Akinola marks the latest in upcycling designer collaborations. Nicole McLaughlin, the queen of repurposing nearly anything into lingerie (tennis balls included), has teamed up with the likes of HOKA and Merrell in recent years. Before that, in 2019, Footaction enlisted rework designers for its "No 1 Way" program, including creations by Jong Kim and Natalya Amres.
These creators typically reuse products from brands like Nike and adidas anyways, making them into new wears through an eco-friendly design method. It makes sense, really, for the labels to work directly with the designers. Not only does the opportunity offer better access to supplies for creatives like Akinola, but it helps contribute to a better circular fashion system.
I'm already a big fan of reworked fashion. And with big names like Nike teaming up with these artists, I say: it's about time...also more please!
