Nike and CLOT are no stranger to a premium collaboration. Kevin Poon and Edison Chen’s Hong Kong-based lifestyle label have been working with the sportswear giants ever since their Air Max 1 ‘Kiss of Death’ collaboration way back in 2006, and over the years they’ve lent their hand in designing some of the most sought after Air Force 1 releases out there. They’re set to collaborate once more this winter, and this time fragment design are getting in on the act.
CLOT and Nike already reignited their partnership earlier this month, producing a striking ‘Royal University Blue Silk’ iteration of the Air Force 1. Continuing the luxury aesthetic which first cropped up on CLOT’s ‘1World’ Air Force 1 in ’09, the silhouette celebrates the tradition of passing knowledge from one generation to the next and aims to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western culture. Traditional Chinese-embroidered uppers wear away over time, revealing a smooth grey leather base which comes detailed with another remarkable print.
Now, CLOT and Nike are set to release another silky Air Force 1, and this time they’re enlisting the help of Hiroshi Fujiwara’s fragment design label too. A three-fold of creativity, the collaborative effort continues the Ying and Yang influence of CLOT’s previous AF1 releases in shining black silk. The idea that within us all they’re is hidden creativity yet to be discovered is still evident too; this time the model features a contrasting red leather base, etched with a fragment-inspired thunderbolt take of the traditional Chinese detailing.
Branding wise, the silhouette features leather midfoot Swooshes, ‘Nike Air’ embroidery on the heel, woven branding on the leather tongue, with all three Nike, CLOT and fragment design logos on the decorative red footbeds. The luxury pair is rounded off in classic fashion with a white Air-cushioned midsole underfoot, and a gum rubber outsole for traction to the surface.
Judging by the value of fragment designs’ previous ventures with Nike – particularly their Air Jordan 1 venture fetching upwards of $5000 – we expect that the fragment and CLOT’s latest effort will follow suit.
You can already shop the Nike x CLOT ‘Royal University Blue Silk’ Air Force 1 on our online trainer platform now, but keep your eyes peeled for Nike x CLOT x fragment design Air Force 1 ‘Black Silk’ and stay posted to the Laced blog for all your sneaker updates.