Martine Rose has been chosen by Nike for a third collaboration, which will feature gender-neutral clothing and shoes that are modelled after the best football players in the world. The athletic clothing company is betting that the designs will be seen off the pitch during the Women’s World Cup in July.
While other sportswear companies, including Adidas and Lululemon, are making investments in women’s performance apparel, this Nike partnership is the first to substantially support female athletes during their official off-field occasions.
According to the company, the goal is to “close the gender gap in considered, crafted tailoring for women’s sport” and improve the appearance of top women’s football players. Five days after the start of the World Cup in Australia on July 25, the ground-breaking collection will be exclusively accessible on Martine-Rose.com. Starting on July 27, it will also be available on Nike.com, the Snkrs app, and in some Nike stores.
The collection includes a suit, trench and shirt, plus accessories including socks, gloves and sunglasses. “Although I’m using women to tell the story, there’s no gender attached to the suit,” says Martine Rose. “Anyone can wear it.”
Later this year, Nike plans to take additional steps to refine the genderless idea. Women’s football supporters claim that this summer’s highly publicised World Cup could signal a significant turning point for women’s sport globally.
