Olivia Kim’s Nike Space at Nordstrom NYC Breaks New Ground in the Women’s Sneaker Market
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In a city scarce with women’s sneaker shops, Nordstrom NYC comes up big.
On Thursday, the retailer’s New York City flagship store makes its debut and along with that, comes the highly anticipated Nordstrom x Nike boutique. The women’s-only sneaker collaboration first launched in 2015, led by Olivia Kim, VP of creative projects at Nordstrom. And she’s taking the concept to new heights in honor of the New York opening. Inside the women’s store, customers will find a carefully curated assortment of Nike styles merchandised with Nordstrom’s top fashion brands.
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“Our fashion breadth is so broad,” Kim told FN today during a private walk-through. “It’s everything from Topshop and Madewell to Comme des Garçons and Simone Rocha. That mix is not something other retailers can be proud of. We want to proclaim our manifesto here with why we wanted to even start NxN, which was to create an awesome sneaker destination for her with Nike and mix it with what we do best in [fashion].”
A standout style is the Nordstrom-exclusive red Air Jordan Latitude 720 Swarovski crystal sneakers. Other offerings include special iterations of the Air Force 1, Air Max and more, all of which are displayed among products from fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands, such as Susan Alexandra, Megababe, Daughter of the Land, Melody Ehsani and an exclusive capsule from KkCo.
“The sneaker game has changed so much,” continued Kim. “Growing up, all I wanted was to wear the sneakers that didn’t come in my size. Now, the interchangeability of what is men and what is women, it’s so fluid at this point. For girls, to have a destination where sneakers are made for her, where she can see it styled with fashion in one space, that is empowering. I’m so excited to give that because I didn’t have it growing up.”
Walking into the space, shoppers will be immediately greeted with a floor-to-ceiling wall of TV screens. Said Kim, “I wanted to pay homage to the city and the fact that you can’t walk a block without being captured on CCTV, so as soon as you come in, these cameras are live and are recording in delay. You’ll see your feet on the screen.”
In addition, the red velvet walls, custom-made with a red toile pattern, provide nods to classic Nike imagery. Kim explained that the inspiration behind the design was fashion meets sport through a powerfully feminine, sexy and seductive aesthetic. “I also felt that it didn’t need to be precious. There’s roughness behind the edges,” she added.
A week after the NYC store opening on Oct. 24, the NxN shop will exclusively launch the Nike x Olivia Kim No Cover collection on Oct. 31. The capsule of apparel, footwear and accessories is inspired by her hometown of New York City in the ’90s. The line features 16 apparel and accessory pieces, including five footwear styles: the Air Force 1, Air Jordan IV, Air Mowabb, Air Footscape and Air Max 98. The collab is officially available globally on Nov. 8.
Kim said, “I was inspired by growing up here and hanging out in Washington Square Park, Fulton Mall and St. Marks. There’s a nod to the punkness. It’s funny because I’m just so shocked how the ’90s stayed with me and how engrained it is in my style. It’s nostalgic. And it was also a time when the sky was the limit. When you think about music, art and the city — there was still a grittiness that just doesn’t exist any more.”
As an extension of the collaboration, the boutique will also offer an exclusive fine jewelry collection in partnership with Nike, which is a first for the athletic company. The line features hand-crafted 14-karat gold pieces, such as hoop earrings, gold necklaces and anklets inspired by vintage Nike ad campaigns. And another Nordstrom exclusive that is part of Kim’s collection is a capsule featuring the Betty Boop cartoon character.
Nordstrom x Nike NYC will be open for extended hours Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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