Martine Rose x Nike Hits Shelves on January 12
- Words Anteneh Gebre
- Date December 3, 2018
UPDATE 1/7/2019: The Martine Rose x Nike collaboration Air Monarch IV sneakers will drop on January 12. After dropping on Nike.com and at select Nike retailers, head to Grailed to shop the sneaker.
London based menswear designer Martine Rose is using her collaboration with Nike to make very particular references to sportswear’s past while also putting her own spin on the pieces, as well as the release. In the words of the character Jerry Seinfeld: she took it “back and to the left”.
“We took a silhouette based on a very British tracksuit that you might get in JD Sports,” Rose told British Vogue. “Then, we created a trainer inspired by Nike’s Monarch style, which is a very middle-America-dad trainer.” The collection is largely based on how athletes’ gear—in particular basketball players—fits their bodies and how that fit translates to the bodies of non-pro athletes. The result of this comes in the form of draping sleeves and tapered pants.
The sneaker is very similar to the Nike Monarch IV which has dominated department stores for decades and caught the attention of trendier individuals in recent years. Rose didn’t speak at length about the sneakers with British Vogue, however from the pictures we can see a bulbous detail on the upper. The sneaker will be available in a classic Monarch white and blue colorway, as well as monochromatic black and pink colorways.
Perhaps the most interesting detail about this collaboration is the way in which it will be released. The collection will be available on Craigslist via three individuals: London Steve, who lives on the same cul-de-sac where Martine Rose showed her last collection; Tesfa, a 19-year-old sneakerhead; and Surya, a photography student who likes to race her two pet ferrets Serena and Williams. All three will all act as London-based stockists. “Neither Nike nor I ever done anything like this before,” Rose tells British Vogue. “It’s like the Wild West–totally uncharted territory. We have no idea how it will go.”
Stay tuned to Dry Clean Only for more information on the collaboration and its release.
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