New Nike Collection: Insulting or Artistic?

NikeLab and Japanese fashion studio Sacai collaborated to create the Spring 2015 collection based [...]

NikeLab and Japanese fashion studio Sacai collaborated to create the Spring 2015 collection based on women's fitness apparel. It's high fashion meets traditional Nike sportswear. Such a simple idea led to a vibrant result of an eight-piece collection that fashion lovers praise and athletes condemn.

(Photo: NikeLab1
Photo Courtesy Fashion United)

The collection is supposed to be a reinterpretation of Nike's classic sellers. Running resource web site, RunHaven, published its opinion: "...what you would think would be a cute and colorful selection, was instead insulting to female athletes everywhere."

Slate, an online magazine known for its strong opinions and fearless coverage of all topics, baselined most of the opinions against the collection, stating, "In reality, it's comical and insulting to female athletes everywhere."

>> Read more: What To Wear Under Your Workout Gear

Thinking about the collection from an athlete's standpoint, the argument is against the lack of practicality. Other review points include poor choice of material, missing guards against chafing, too much flowing fabric for safe movement, and so forth. Click here for clothes that will optimize your workout.

(Photo: NikeLab
Photo Courtesy TheSlate)

Yet, from the perspective of a fashion expert, this sacai line, led by Chitose Abe, is what's hot right now. The Financial Times, a well-respected British publication, posted an op-ed opening with, "Ask any fashion insider which label to seek out at the moment, and they're likely to say Sacai."

Other positive reviews call the collection "sleek and sporty" and "so well done."

>> Read more: Pop Some Color Into Your Workout Clothes

The target audience for this artistic expression might not be the busy mom trying to squeeze in her workout in the T-shirt she wore to bed last night. The cost of the pieces range from a T-shirt at $150 to a "Windrunner" at $350. The Air Max shoe first debuted in 1987 has also been reinvented for this collection in a laceless, slip-on model running at $150.

Would you wear something from this collection? We want to know!

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