by Alisha Bissessur
One of the simplest ways of romanticising your life is through fashion- a motto which the Nike and Tiffany & Co. collaboration seems to be embodying. Even though the year has just started, the two fashion titans have announced what could be the most iconic collaboration of 2023. Both cult favourites, they took the internet by storm, but what does their collaboration essentially mean?
The new collection marks the 40th anniversary of Nike’s Air Force One’s. Tiffany’s unmistakable robin’s egg blue took up a whole ad page in the New York Time’s a week ago. Sold in a red-lined Tiffany Blue box, the collection unveiled features the reinvented shoes a sterling silver whistle, shoe horn, shoe brush, and lace ornaments ( with the option of a silver dubrae upon release). The laces even come in 4 different colours- Tiffany blue, white, canary yellow, and black.
But the star of the show? The shoes themselves, the reimagined Air Force Ones, now in black suede with the elegant, timeless Nike Swoosh in classic Tiffany blue. On each satin tongue of the shoe is featured a sterling plate reading ‘Tiffany’ in the brand’s own font, instead of Nike’s usual Air tag). The insoles are featured in Tiffany Blue leather with a silver Nike Air branding with touches of leather. The shoe needed to be a tribute to the subtle elegance of Tiffany while still having having the immediately recognisable touch.
When one purchases Nike, one looks for rigour, and energy. With Tiffany, one looks for sophistication, and romance. The new release hopes to embody both brands’ messages in the final product proposed.
With the unveiling of the AF1s, the Nike share price suffered a slight dip the day of the design release. The verdicts were a mixed bag; some stated that Nike and Tiffany were simply repurposing the Air Force 1s instead of focusing on originality, while some adored the feminine yet unisex approach.
The marketing for the Nike x Tiffany shoe generated heightened levels of excitement, which may have led to many being disappointed with the final outcome. Many sought out AI-generated designs of the shoe to prove their point that the official design may not have lived up to expectations. There were also some critiques regarding the colour palette chosen for the Air Force Ones, suggesting that white leather would have made for a more suitable choice in lieu of the black suede.
Their point being that white would have brought about an air of grace and daintiness, which the black did not bring about On the other hand, others believed that the Air Force Ones had an approachable design, with a relatively affordable price tag of $400 (keeping in mind that the Dior’s Air Jordan 1 began at $2000, and the Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 at $2750). The nifty accessories provided are an absolute treat for true aficionados. Perhaps a jewellery line instead of a shoe would have been met with more than just muted enthusiasm from consumers.
Recalling the Tiffany x Supreme collab, the latter was sold out seconds after the release. Nevertheless, Nike has stated that the Tiffany kicks are the one and only ‘legendary pair’ of shoes that the brand has come up with- the collaboration is a clever move.
With 2022 being a wild year for the jewellery industry, its projected growth rate of 8.5% will launch the industry into having a whopping $518B by 2030. An increased adoption of deconstructing heteronormative culture, men have been bold when it comes to experimenting with fashion choices. Frank Ocean has even unveiled his new luxury jewellery brand, Homer, and Prada even unveiled their first ever luxury jewellery line at the end of 2022.
That being said, Tiffany & Co knows not to fall behind. Since the 2021 LVMH’s acquisition of Tiffany & Co., the brand has been attempting to reinvent its image by forging itself as a key player in modern luxury. Following Tiffany’s collaboration with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Fendi & Supreme, the romantic jewellery brand has gained an ever-growing level of engagement and clout. LVMH’s goal is to have Tiffany step into the fashion market in a whole new light to delve into a whole new market sector.
Nike is the first footwear opportunity Tiffany has gotten its hands on. Streetwear is viewed as fashion-forward casual clothes which luxury brands have been urging to tap into. Namely, this collaboration is Tiffany’s golden ticket into the festering world of luxury streetwear.
Nike has the title of owning sneaker collaborations. Let’s see if the collaboration truly lives up to their motto, ‘A Legendary Pair’, on March 7th.