After much anticipation, Nike’s latest collaboration with celebrated designer Yoon Ahn has finally come to life. The designer has grown a cult following for her Tokyo-based line AMBUSH and as the recently appointed men’s jewelry designer at Dior Homme.
Ahn and Nike first began conversations after AMBUSH was named an LVMH Prize Finalist in 2017. A few months later, Ahn visited Nike’s Portland headquarters to collaborate on her first collection for the global brand. The 14-piece collection combines inspiration from Ahn’s Tokyo-inspired aesthetic and the Nike spirit of functionality. With a hectic schedule that takes her between Tokyo and Paris, she drew parallels between her work ethic and that of an athlete, designing a line that achieves both performance and style simultaneously to create what she calls “the new lifestyle.”
“The new lifestyle that a lot of us live, is not so fragmented,” said Ahn. “Before how you dressed in the morning wasn’t carried into nighttime, now we move through space and time more fluidly.”
The collection features a re-designed Dry-Fit stretch bodysuit, crop top, and tracksuit, alongside a faux fur coat. The coat comes in two colors, black and mint green, and is reversible with fleece on the inside.
Ahn was born in South Korea and grew up in the United States. She studied graphic design in Boston where she met her husband, rapper Verbal, and started designing jewelry for friends. In 2008, the duo officially formed AMBUSH and have since collaborated with brands like Louis Vuitton and garnered fans from Pharrell to Rihanna.
“Coming from someone who’s not an athlete, I kept it real. What would I want to wear to the gym but also wear to work or go out at night?” said Ahn.
Ahn also re-imagined the Air Max 180 using her childhood nostalgia.
“Air Max 180s were the first pair of sneakers I ever bought as a kid. I never knew as a child I’d be making my version of it. I used to obsess over them in elementary school,” said Ahn.
Ahn’s design merges the classic Air Max 180 style with the Air Zoom Flight, a first-of-its-kind iteration. The shoe will be available in black and mint.
“I wanted to find the connecting point between a person who works hard and a brand that celebrates athleticism. Anyone who’s committed to making their practice better has the same mentality. It’s about practice – getting up each morning and practicing until your skill is at a certain level to perform and achieve a goal. It’s the same thing I do to create a collection.”
The Nike x AMBUSH® apparel collection drops December 6, and the Air Max 180 will be available in spring 2019.
