There’s sportswear you wear to work out, and then there’s sportswear that fits into the rest of your day too. Such is the promise of Nike Sportswear’s Studio Fleece capsule first seen at the latest Pantone Sundays in Johannesburg.
Nike has unveiled the collaborative project on Instagram, where the brand’s Sportswear division presented the latest take on fleeces in an intensely social context. While the fleeces themselves were undeniably the centre of attention, the gray-themed event saw Studio Fleece’s wearers and creators explore the collection through their styling choices as they danced the night away.
As the name suggests, Nike Sportswear’s Studio Fleece is about creating an ultimate uniform for everyday life with the functionality of sportswear at its core.
The collection was born out of Nike’s extensive research process with over 300 women across the globe to understand their needs and incorporate their feedback into the chosen fabric, fit, sizing, tailoring and colours.
Designed around how women actually move
The capsule consists of staples such as crewneck and zip quarter t-shirts, full zip and pullover hoodies, shorts and sweatpants. Studio Fleece offers a choice between two primary fits: the standard one that contours the body and a more relaxed oversized option. Within the standard group, Nike introduced three weight options, whereas the oversized fit only comes in one heftier version.
While at first glance it may seem that the contrast is minimal, the difference in weight is purposeful, as explained by Nike in the detailed design guide for the Studio Fleece collection.
Lightweight garments offer breathability and are perfect for layering, mediumweight versions serve as an everyday staple and heavyweight styles keep the body warmer with extra volume.
Nike has also focused on enhancing the garments’ touch, using a five-time sueded surface for lighter fleeces and a brushed reverse-heather construction for heavier fleeces.
The result is a line of fleeces that do not need to be dressed in a particular setting. A hoodie can become a part of your everyday streetwear staples, while the same dressing ritual can be taken to the next level to explore the potential of athleisure.
What else hides in details?
Studio Fleece is also the name of a new experiment in subtle luxury Nike designers embarked on to reimagine the details familiar from traditional fleeces. According to the brand, every part of the garments, from hood construction and proportions to cuffs and finishing touches, was considered in the process.
The updated contoured hoods, less prominent cuffs and cleaner lines now define fleeces in a version that Nike believes balances classic and contemporary. Signature Lyon Blue tags can also be found across the range as a special detail incorporated into the design.
The oversized women’s pullover hoodie, for instance, comes with a dropped shoulder construction, extra space in sleeve and body, and a reimagined underarm design that facilitates layering. Its darted, self-fabric hood offers a structured silhouette that will not interfere with any hairstyle you choose to wear.
Another interesting example is the technical innovation hidden in the Total Black colour option for fleeces. As explained by Nike, the unique dye formula allows garments to withstand 30 washes without noticeable fading.
Perhaps, the most special quality of Studio Fleece is the feeling of lightness that comes from the absence of unnecessary embellishments. Instead, Nike lets the clothes speak for themselves and makes subtle suggestions about how to wear them and style.
Pantone Sundays gave the collection a different kind of runway
At the Pantone Sundays event, the concept of self-expression through clothing was elevated to a whole new level as Nike Sportswear offered Studio Fleece as an open platform for exploration. While the company presented the garments as seen from the perspective of its athletes, the fleeces also received special styling attention from the brand’s guest DJs and attendees to demonstrate their multilayered potential.
In fact, that was the point of Studio Fleece, according to Nike Sportswear. The brand wanted to offer garments that would allow women to freely express themselves without having to define the space between athletic and everyday staples.
According to Nike, that philosophy has been embedded in every detail, from a contoured hood to a colour block construction. The brand defines an athlete as anyone with a body and promotes a vision where clothing blurs the lines between sport and lifestyle or joins them altogether.
From sport to self-expression
This approach is also reinforced by the cast of real and virtual influencers shortlisted for the campaign to support the launch of Studio Fleece. The line-up includes not only athletes such as Alysa Liu, Jazzy Davidson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Lauren James, Reece James and Moses Itauma but also musicians Karina and Yeat.
They join the ranks of Nike supporters who believe in the merging of sport and culture to create new silhouettes as seen in the latest collection. That theme was also specially amplified at the Pantone Sundays event, where fleeces were able to hold their ground in the company of music, nightlife and a global audience.
In that regard, the choice of fleeces as a capsule collection can be seen as especially relevant to the event’s concept.
The garments are the ultimate chameleons that allow you to explore their potential in a variety of settings. From the gym to a night out or a weekend getaway. In fact, that is the very reason why Nike chose fleeces to be the centre of attention at Pantone Sundays. As such garments can become a part of both your loungewear and streetwear staples, they offer a rare blend of everyday comfort and an opportunity to elevate your style.
Studio Fleece can be purchased at Nike South Africa and selected Nike retailers in the Middle East and Africa, with the collection launching worldwide from 1 September.
