Nigo Signs Deal With Nike, Collaboration Coming

STREETWEAR DESIGNER NIGO IS TEAMING UP WITH NIKE FOR A SNEAKER COLLABORATION, EXPECTED TO DROP NEXT YEAR.

BEAVERTON, OREGON — American multinational corporation Nike, Inc. has teamed up with Japanese designer Nigo, the streetwear titan who founded A Bathing Ape, also known as Bape and Human Made.

Nigo, who also currently serves as artistic director for French fashion house Kenzo, is rumored to be working on a collaboration with Nike, according to sneaker industry sources with knowledge of the solution. The deal between Nigo and Nike marks a shift for the designer’s footwear alliances; Nigo’s brands have worked extensively with Adidas over the past 20 years.

Nigo and Nike are still in the early stages of working together on a sneaker, according to one source, and any collaborative product won’t be released until 2024 at the earliest.

The Japanese designer has never worked directly with Nike on product before, but the brand’s leadership met him on trips to Tokyo in the early 2000s, per one sneaker scene veteran who was in Nigo’s orbit then.

Earlier this year, we reported that Nike, Inc was suing A Bathing Ape for trademark infringement for some of its most popular sneaker styles (see it here).

The sports giant filed a lawsuit in January against the streetwear brand at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for trademark infringement for “some of the world’s most valuable trademarks,” according to the lawsuit’s complaint, which includes the Nike Air Force 1, Nike Air Jordan 1 and Nike Dunk sneakers.

DISCLAIMER: D.M. Fashion BOOK aims to provide our readers with the latest updates in the sneaker world. However, we cannot 100% confirm the reliability of any unauthorized leaks or rumors unless this information is provided directly by the brands themselves.

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