NIKEcraft
Renowned New York artist Tom Sachs is the latest cultural icon to pair up with Nike in a unique collaboration
Renowned New York artist Tom Sachs is the latest cultural icon to pair up with Nike in a unique collaboration. In an unlikely pairing, Tom's D.I.Y aesthetic has been combined with Nike's signature style to create the artisanal capsule collection named NIKECraft.
Much of Tom's artistic work focuses on space, with the renowned Space Program, for example showing at the Gagosian gallery in 2007 where he re-enacted a mission to the moon. Tomorrow he launches his next exhibit, Space Program: Mars at the Park Avenue Armory, creating almost every aspect of a journey to the red planet.
NIKEcraft highlights this passion with a suitably spacey collection - the designs look more suited to the NASA centre than the streets of New York and the pieces are equipped with fully functional tools useful for a voyage through space. As Tom explains, 'Astronauts must be as fit as an elite athlete to even withstand the rigors of exiting the earth’s atmosphere. Their daily tasks require a substantial effort and endurance. Equally, their equipment must be up to the task of performing under the most unforgiving conditions.'
The collection, available at the Park Avenue Armory, consists of five pieces, including the Mars Yard Shoe, a vintage-style trainer in beige and orange, "built to support the bodies of the strongest minds in the aerospace industry." There's the Mars Fly lightweight jacket and the 'Airbag bag' built with automotive airbag materials, aluminum interior dividing clips and a 'paracord' that doubles as a tourniquet. The Chester trench boasts a silver lining featuring the periodic table while the lightweight tote is billed as for, 'everyday superheroes' with grappling hooks and storage cases to boot.
The project is an interesting collaboration as it combines Nike's usual focus on innovative materials with a fun, innovative backstory. Check out more info here.
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