Nike and the French PPP crew (Pain O ChoKolat, PIGALLE Paris, Pompon), come together to offer a new take on a timeless classic.
A collection born from a mutual love of basketball that celebrates the games ability to unite a community of diverse backgrounds together under one love. Nike partners with PIGALLE, also known as the Pain O Chokolat crew, to create a collection that represents an authentic lifestyle of basketball. Refusing to let the boundaries of urban living keep them away from play, the Nike x PPP Collection combines sport heritage and style allowing you to move seamlessly from the court into everyday life with ease.
Building on a decade-long relationship between Nike and Pain O Chokolat, the Nike x PPP (Pain O ChoKolat, PIGALLE Paris, Pompon) Collection brings the spirit of Paris’s creative class to sportswear. Inspired by the patina that occurs over time on a well used basketball court, scuffed surfaces from hours of play and rusted metal hoops that surrender to the elements are interpreted in varnished and tie dyed treatments that give the collection an aged look.
Two versions of the Air Force 1 — one AF1 Hi and one AF1 Low — give the iconic bestseller a unique treatment. Intended for lifestyle wear, fine leathers are applied to the classic AF1 silhouette. Crafted using techniques common to the construction of menswear brogues, excess padding is removed, leather laces are added, and an oversized gold metal eyelet accents the workman boot look. The leather uppers are finished with a waxed coating that will take on a look that’s exclusive to the wearer as it breaks down over time with everyday wear. Finally the transparent outsoles reveal a geometric pattern — a coach’s diagram of strategic basketball maneuvers.
Founding member of the PPP crew, Stéphane Ashpool played professional basketball back in the day. Ashpool currently coaches at the community basketball court he petitioned to build, and has a personal connection to the Nike Air Force 1 as the shoe was his footwear of choice on the court.
“I like the fact the AF1 was released the year I was born —1982. I love the little details like that. I wanted to take the shoe and bring it to life. When you put the shoe on you see the story, so I wanted to relate the patina, the way of dyeing and the texture together so it has the feeling of life.” The product of a movement that’s based on movement, the Nike x PPP Collection has a narrative all of its own.
Nike Air Force 1 Low NG CMFT PIGALLE SP. Cool Grey, Cool Grey. 669916-090
Nike Air Force 1 Hi NG CMFT LW. Black, Black. 677129-090
New Nike x UndercoverGyakusou Holiday Collection 2013 in Store Saturday 10.26.13.
Jun Takahashi’s days are defined by dual obsessions: textiles and running. Taking him from the streets and parks of Tokyo to his design studio, they occupy his mind and his body, and fully manifest in the Holiday 2013 Nike x Undercover Gyakusou collection. With solving fundamental problems through design as a passion, Jun Takahashi considered the elements and how the changing seasons can imbue a run with a sense of significance. Simple design and functionality soon became Jun Takahashi’s inspiration.
Similar to past seasons, the collection’s palette remains neutral. It features complementary color blocking in subtle city tones and natural hues that harmonize with both urban and rural environments. Moreover, it debuts a selection of monochromatic separates—a first for the Gyakusou collection. Boasting a precise composite of textiles, these tonal garments present a restrained 3D effect that conveys their complex, flattering construction. They are also made to layer, allowing runners to balance and personalize their style.
Driven by Jun’s infatuations, this season’s design process began with a visit to Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Here, the Nike Advance Innovation Team offered insight into its latest materials and introduced Takahashi to its most advanced performance running apparel innovation.
Mirroring Takahashi’s progress as a runner who has graduated from 30-minute jogs to regular 10K runs and the successful completion of multiple marathons, this season’s collection is more technical than ever, both in appearance and performance. Taking inspiration from his personal running advances, Jun has streamlined the Gyakusou designs so that every detail serves a running-specific function.
Nike and Undercover founder and designer, Jun Takahashi, once again come together to release its newest collection of high-performance running gear for Fall/Holiday 2011. Merging the best in modern innovation, the third installment to the Nike x Undercover Gyakusou collection is rooted in a simple philosophy focused on fulfilling a crucial mission: to create the best running product that strikes the perfect balance between style and absolute functionality.
Takahashi designed the collection with thoughtful details that diminish distraction and enhance the meditative quality of running while fitting perfectly in the classically Japanese environment.
Nike x UndercoverGyakusou AS UC Lightweight Fill Jacket. Available in Black.
Nike x UndercoverGyakusou AS UC Sweat Hoody. Available in Black.
Nike x UndercoverGyakusou AS UC 3/4 Top. Available in Black.
Nike x UndercoverGyakusou AS UC Short Sleeve Top. Available in Dark Russet and Velvet Brown.
