NEW YORK, Jan 15 — Nike has released its new spring NikeCourt collection for this year’s Australian Open, which kicked off yesterday in Melbourne and runs until January 27.
Inspired by vintage 1990s colour blocking, the new collection features gradient stripes of pink and green and brings NikeCourt heritage to the pieces with denim and chequered print. A crinkled nylon is a nod to Nike’s watersport line from the ‘90s.
Another inspiration behind the range is the humble cotton T-shirt, cited by many players during the development of the Melbourne collection as their favourite piece to practice in.
Although the classic piece of sportswear kit is soft and comfortable, Nike wanted to give it a high-tech edge so athletes could benefit from enhanced performance.
“A lot of our players are used to practicing in cotton tees,” says Abby Swancutt, global apparel design director for NikeCourt. “They like the way it absorbs the sweat, how it protects them from the sun and how they feel more comfortable.”
“Our material development has come so far that we’re able to get these materials that feel cotton-rich, but still wick away the sweat during gameplay,” added Swancutt.
The full NikeCourt Melbourne collection is available on nike.com and at select retailers. — AFP-Relaxnews
