Nike and A Magazine Curated By Launch "A Manual for Living" at Salone del Mobile, Extending Innovation Beyond Sport
Milan, Italy – In an unprecedented convergence of sportswear innovation and high-concept design, Nike, the global athletic apparel and footwear giant, has partnered with the esteemed A Magazine Curated By to launch "A Manual for Living Curated for Nike." This ambitious project, unveiled during Salone del Mobile.Milano, the world’s premier design fair, next week, is anchored by the long-held, yet unrealized, creative aspiration of former Nike Chief Innovation Officer John Hoke: to design furniture. This unique collaboration signifies a bold strategic move for Nike, demonstrating its expansive vision beyond the traditional confines of sport and into the broader realm of lifestyle and industrial design.
The genesis of this extraordinary initiative lies in a simple yet profound question posed to John Hoke, who retired last year after more than three decades shaping Nike’s innovative trajectory. When asked what creative endeavor he wished he had pursued during his illustrious tenure at the company, Hoke’s response was unequivocal: "furniture." This personal revelation catalyzed "Nevermades," a groundbreaking project where Nike’s advanced digital creation studio and its cadre of designers embarked on developing two prototype chairs. Playfully dubbed "chA.I.R," a clever homage to Nike’s iconic cushioning system, these pieces represent a conceptual leap, challenging perceptions of where Nike’s design philosophy and technological prowess can extend.
Blake Abbie, editor-in-chief of A Magazine Curated By, emphasized the profound intent behind the "chA.I.R" prototypes. These chairs are designed not merely as objects of utility or art, but as provocations, pushing the public to contemplate the boundless applications of Nike’s proprietary technology beyond athletic performance. Miniatures and detailed designs of these prototypes will be a central feature of the exhibition in Milan, with the full-scale works slated for public presentation later in the year, promising a more tangible experience of Nike’s venture into home aesthetics.
A Deep Dive into "A Manual for Living Curated for Nike"
The nearly 200-page special issue, "A Manual for Living Curated for Nike," transcends the traditional brand book format, adopting a workbook-style approach replete with exercises and prompts. It serves as an experimental guidebook, distilling over 50 years of Nike’s unparalleled sport science, design methodologies, and innovation ethos. This manual is not just a publication; it’s a foundational touchpoint for Nike’s wider engagement during Milan Design Week, encompassing exhibitions, talks, and workshops designed to foster a deeper understanding of the brand’s multifaceted identity.
Abbie articulated the foundational inquiry that propelled the entire project: "If Nike were a person, how would it think, dream and move through the world?" This anthropomorphic perspective allowed for an exploration of Nike’s essence, extending its narrative beyond athletic achievements. Abbie noted, "Nike had a presence during the Winter Olympics, and we thought, why not find a way to continue their story in the city. As we developed the issue, we realized that the approach was to understand how Nike thinks about design and how that might impact aesthetics and innovation. Nike has never opened its doors to external voices in the way it did with this issue." This statement underscores the unprecedented level of access and collaborative spirit that defined the partnership.
The "Manual" is meticulously structured into five thematic sections: Desire, Mind, Body, Soul, and Imagination. Each section delves into distinct facets of human experience, filtered through the lens of Nike’s design philosophy, inviting readers to engage actively with its content.
Desire: The Spark of Innovation
The Desire section sets the tone, firmly placing John Hoke’s furniture pieces at its core. It explores the impulse to create, to innovate, and to extend boundaries. The "chA.I.R" prototypes embody this desire, representing Nike’s venture into a new design frontier. This section challenges the conventional understanding of Nike’s product scope, urging a re-evaluation of its technological applications and aesthetic potential. The display of these conceptual chairs in Milan serves as a powerful symbol of Nike’s willingness to experiment and redefine its creative parameters.
Mind: The Language of Design and Perception
The Mind section delves into the intellectual underpinnings of design and culture. Writer Nicholas Schonberger contributes an insightful analysis of the "language of style," examining the intricate feedback loop that exists between sport, streetwear, and broader cultural trends. This exploration is complemented by a dynamic team design challenge orchestrated by Martin Lotti, Nike’s chief design officer, and Golnaz Armin, vice president of Design Studio Excellence, providing a glimpse into Nike’s internal creative processes. Further enriching this section, a unique personality quiz built upon Nike’s proprietary color system offers a playful yet profound self-reflection tool, paired with contemplative reflections from artists Maia Ruth Lee, David Benjamin Sherry, and Jason Baerg. The section also features perception exercises contributed by Nike chief science officer Matt Nurse and Stanford neuroscientist Poppy Crum, bridging the gap between artistic interpretation and scientific understanding of how we perceive the world and, by extension, design.
Body: Rituals, Performance, and Sustenance
The Body section focuses on the physical manifestations of performance, ritual, and well-being. It features a striking fashion editorial, conceived and produced by leading Chinese creatives, which reimagines pre-competition archetypes. This visual narrative celebrates the preparation, discipline, and aesthetic of athletic readiness. Complementing this, the section includes athlete-focused recipes from renowned chefs, demonstrating the holistic approach to performance. Notable culinary contributors include Fredrik Berselius of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Aska in Brooklyn, Jason Liu, owner of Shanghai’s acclaimed Ling Long, and the popular chef and authors Sohla and Ham El-Waylly. Their contributions highlight the critical role of nutrition and mindful eating in optimizing human performance, a theme deeply resonant with Nike’s commitment to athletes.
Soul: Space, Time, and Connection
The Soul section ventures into more philosophical territory, exploring the profound connections between sport, life, and the spaces we inhabit. John Hoke offers poignant reflections on time and what sport reveals about the human condition, drawing on his extensive experience at the heart of athletic innovation. This introspective piece is balanced by an exploration of architecture and community, with architect Jayden Ali, Populous’ Chris Lee, and Tottenham Hotspur forward Lenna Gunning-Williams discussing stadiums as quasi-sacred spaces – arenas where human drama unfolds and collective spirit thrives. The section also includes a thought-provoking discussion between Nike vice president Janett Nichol and three creatives, fostering a dialogue on the intersection of commerce and creativity. A highlight is a portfolio by Land Art pioneer Lita Albuquerque, whose work, structured around the Fibonacci sequence, beautifully illustrates natural patterns and cosmic harmony, reflecting the underlying order often found in both nature and design.
Imagination: The Future of Sport and Planet
The closing Imagination section looks forward, embracing the future of athleticism, design, and environmental stewardship. It features an engaging conversation between two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton and Tobie Hatfield, a pivotal figure in Nike’s innovation lineage. This dialogue likely explores the future of athletic performance and equipment. An "Athlete Think Tank" in Tokyo gathers elite women athletes to map out their role models and discuss their legacies, emphasizing empowerment and inspiration. The section culminates with a climate-conscious comic created by Geoff Manaugh, inspired by Nike planetary physicist Eric King. This creative piece underscores Nike’s growing commitment to sustainability and its role in addressing global environmental challenges, intertwining design with ecological responsibility.
Nike’s Enduring Legacy of Innovation and Design Thinking
This collaboration with A Magazine Curated By is not an isolated event but rather a natural extension of Nike’s half-century legacy built on relentless innovation and a distinctive design philosophy. Since its inception in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, Nike has consistently pushed the boundaries of athletic performance through groundbreaking design. From the iconic Waffle Trainer, born from Bowerman’s experimental use of a waffle iron, to the revolutionary Air cushioning system, and later, Flyknit technology, Nike has ingrained a culture of problem-solving through design.
The decision to participate in Salone del Mobile.Milano, a global epicenter for furniture and industrial design, marks a significant strategic pivot. Traditionally dominated by fashion weeks or sports events, Nike’s presence in Milan’s design ecosystem signals a broadening of its brand identity. It positions Nike not just as a sportswear company, but as a lifestyle brand deeply embedded in the broader creative economy, capable of influencing aesthetics and innovation across diverse sectors. Salone del Mobile provides an unparalleled platform to showcase this versatility, reaching an audience of designers, architects, artists, and cultural tastemakers who may not typically engage with traditional sportswear launches.
A Magazine Curated By: A Unique Editorial Voice
A Magazine Curated By stands apart in the publishing world for its distinctive format: each issue is curated by a different guest designer, artist, or creative collective, offering a deeply personal and often avant-garde exploration of their universe. This approach has garnered it a reputation for intellectual rigor and artistic freedom, making it an ideal partner for Nike’s foray into conceptual design. The magazine’s editorial independence and curatorial integrity lend significant credibility to Nike’s experimental project, demonstrating a genuine commitment to design discourse rather than mere brand promotion. The fact that Nike granted "unprecedented access" to A Magazine Curated By speaks volumes about its trust in the partnership and its desire for an authentic, external perspective on its internal workings.
Strategic Implications and Future Outlook
The "A Manual for Living" project carries significant implications for Nike’s brand positioning and market diversification. It allows Nike to:
- Expand Brand Perception: Reframe Nike from solely a sportswear brand to a broader design and innovation powerhouse, capable of influencing lifestyle beyond athletic apparel.
- Engage New Audiences: Attract a demographic interested in high design, art, and intellectual discourse, fostering deeper cultural relevance.
- Test New Territories: Use conceptual projects like "chA.I.R" as a sandbox for exploring potential future product categories or collaborations, blurring the lines between sport, fashion, and home goods.
- Showcase Design Thinking: Articulate its "problem-solving" design methodology, demonstrating how it can be applied to diverse challenges, from athletic performance to environmental sustainability.
Martin Lotti, Nike’s chief design officer, articulated the profound value of this collaboration. He touted that the project showcases the brand’s willingness to "collaborate, ask big questions, and do hard things, along with our capacity to find – or create – beauty and meaning in the world where it doesn’t already exist." Lotti further elaborated on the process: "To create this issue, we brought A Magazine Curated By into the fold and gave them unprecedented access to Nike Design and Innovation. Through this way of working, we arrived at a new perspective on Nike and the creative process. Over a year, we were able to go broader and far deeper than the superficial. Ultimately, the manual is a design object in and of itself, but I would say the key design piece is the methodology it proposes." This statement highlights the intellectual depth and methodological rigor that underpinned the entire endeavor.
The project, in essence, reflects how Nike approaches and solves problems. As Abbie remarked, "Nike is a design brand. Taking a problem and seeing how best they can approach a solution to that problem is a fundamental tenet of good design; it is a way of thinking. Through this issue, we wanted to understand how Nike would approach different problems and understand their design, thinking whether that’s applied to their own work for athletes or whether it’s for something that they never would’ve even thought about."
As the "A Manual for Living Curated for Nike" makes its debut at Salone del Mobile, it marks a pivotal moment for Nike. It is a testament to the brand’s enduring spirit of innovation, its willingness to embrace external perspectives, and its ambitious vision for the future of design. The future unveiling of the full-scale "chA.I.R" prototypes will undoubtedly generate further discussion, solidifying Nike’s position not just as a leader in sport, but as a formidable force in the broader landscape of global design and creative culture.
