After a few production setbacks, NikeSkims is launching on Sept. 26, with help from 50 women athletes, including Serena Williams, Jordan Chiles, Romane Dicko, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Madisen Skinner.
The sports stars take center stage, alongside Skims co-founder and chief creative officer Kim Kardashian, in the first campaign for the new activewear brand, which centers around the design and performance of the products.
The debut range spans 58 silhouettes, including bras, leggings, and accessories, giving women more than 10,000 different combinations to choose from. The first launch introduces three core collections (Matte, Shine, and Airy), as well as four new seasonal collections.
The hero film showcasing these products, “Bodies at Work,” directed by Janicza Bravo (Zola, 2020), features Williams and other athletic icons working out in Skims.
Though Nike has partnered with many brands for limited sneaker runs (see: recent launches from Corteiz and Comme des Garçons), NikeSkims marks the first time the sportswear giant has launched an entirely new brand with an outside company.
Nike CEO Elliot Hill, in the midst of steering the company’s turnaround, will be hoping some of Skims’ $3.2 billion cultural clout will rub off on the sports giant.
When the partnership was announced in the spring, it pushed Nike’s stock up 6%. At the time, Christena Garduno, CEO of performance agency Media Culture, told ADWEEK Kardashian’s innovation–as seen in products like butt-enhancing shapewear or Skims’ North Face ski wear collaboration–could give Nike a glow.
“As Nike works to re-establish itself as an innovator in the market, this partnership is a smart, forward-thinking move that will undoubtedly capture attention and bring new energy to Nike’s campaigns,” she added.
The collection will be available on the Nike and Skims websites and at both brands’ flagship locations in New York City and Los Angeles.
Nike’s ‘sports offense’
NikeSkims’ athlete-powered push arrives as Nike goes on a “sports offense” in its marketing to turn around years of sluggish sales.
