The two brands have joined forces for the third time to release an athleisure collection in celebration of sport and style.
For a limited time period, the thrilling sense of sportsmanship currently on display at the Paris Olympics will be emulated in central London. Running until the 12th of August, Selfridges is playing host to a fit fashionista’s haven- an immersive pop up experience which seamlessly converges and celebrates style and contemporary activewear.
Jacquemus- the luxury French fashion house founded by Simon Porte Jacquemus in 2009, first collaborated with Nike on a capsule collection in 2022. It was an apt move for the cult clothing label, which had expanded its product range from womenswear to include footwear in 2017 and menswear in 2019. The brand’s idiosyncratic eye-catching, dynamic designs instantly transformed classic Nike silhouettes such as the Air Humara, revitalising them with a refined, youthful and effortlessly modern feel that doesn’t compromise on chicness.
Following the success of their first launch, a new pair of sneakers ‘inspired by traditional crafting and a desire to reintroduce the human element into shoe construction,’ were released in 2023. Christened the JF1, it amalgamated elements of two of Nike’s most renowned sneakers- the Air Force 1 and the ACG Terra. Now, just one year later, Nike and Jacquemus have teamed up once again to create a new capsule collection to celebrate the Olympics and to pay tribute to the brand’s distinctly French roots.
“I see the collection as a mix of sport, fashion and culture in the most beautiful city in the world, where Nike athletes will take centre stage this summer,” said Jacquemus of the capsule, which currently features in the bespoke Nike x Jacquemus installation created exclusively for Selfridges.
Situated inside the store’s innovative Wonder Room, the highly anticipated apparel and selection of footwear have been imaginatively juxtaposed with decorative aspects that draw inspiration from a sleek silver gym locker room. Visualize highly-reflective silver walls replete with outrageously disproportionate weights, padlocks and smoothie shakers- a creation which signifies the inherently playful characteristics behind sport.
Highlights include a large imposing ‘Le Swoosh’ bag sculpture — a supersized iteration of the iconic accessory that Nike and Jacquemus have created, now available in three new colorways and sold online and across select retail for the first time. The contents of the giant bag sculpture seen in Selfridges allude to the conception of what a ‘Jacquemus woman’s bag’ may contain. This includes a light-hearted combination of huge headphones and Jacquemus-branded breath mints, each of which looms above guests in outrageously outsized proportions.
This memorable, tongue-in-cheek experience also boasts a real smoothie stall from which you can order one of three uniquely crafted Nike X Jacquemus juices and is host to a screening of the collection’s campaign film ‘J’aime Paris.’ Directed by Simon Porte Jacquemus, it stars cultural muses of the brand such as rapper Central Cee, model Lila Moss and actress Juliette Binoche alongside iconic Nike athletes including Serena Williams.
The collection, which champions a ‘fluid relationship between performance and fashion,’ is defined by its ten distinct lifestyle pieces. The examples dispersed throughout the space include statement T-shirts, long skirts and reimagined tracksuits—all of which are saturated with shades of blue, white and red— an overt ode to the brand’s French heritage.The Le Swoosh bag and the brands’ third footwear silhouette, the Nike x Jacquemus Air Max 1 are also exhibited and available for purchase within the pop-up, alongside the rest of this sleek, stylish and most importantly, functional capsule collection.
The Wonder Room at Selfridges is open to the public for free until 12 August. All images courtesy of Selfridges.
