Nike is neither French nor couture, but on Wednesday the American athletic brand held a 40-minute performance during Paris Couture Week, marking the brand’s Parisian debut.
The dance show, titled “Goddess Awakened,” featured “more than 30 Nike athletes and partners,” per Nike’s news release. The dancers wore Nike pieces that blurred fashion, athleisure and activewear lines, and the presentation featured items from Nike collaborators including Yoon Ahn, Feng Chen Wang and Martine Rose.
“‘Goddess Awakened’ represents the next era for Nike Women, one where the brand is a platform for celebrating and empowering female creativity and self-expression through the lens of community,” Liz Weldon, vice president of global Nike women’s brand management, said in the release. “We know that one of the greatest ways we can champion women is to open space for them to feel seen and included.”
On Monday, designer Martine Rose’s soccer-themed collection for Nike was revealed. It offers “gender-free tailored pieces” including a suit jacket and pants, a trench coat, a button-down shirt, and accessories including socks, gloves, sunglasses, and shoes. That collection will be available exclusively on Martine-Rose.com beginning July 25 and available on SNKRS and through select specialty stores as of July 27.
Nike’s first Paris show comes amidst several weeks of unrest in the French capital, following the death of a teenager as the result of a police shooting on June 27. In light of the protests, LVMH-owned Celine canceled its show and related events on July 1, and a post on Celine designer Hedi Slimane’s personal Instagram pushed back against continuing fashion events while the conflicts persisted. In his post, he wrote that he felt having a fashion show in Paris during the unrest seemed inconsiderate and uncalled-for.
