Nike, Feng Chen Wang link up on fashion apparel

Designer Wang Fengchen recently walked on a fashion show catwalk in Shanghai, sporting a pink bobbed hairstyle, a black convertible vest and khaki trousers — representing Nike's new collection, in which for the first time, it has collaborated with a female Chinese fashion designer.

In the collection, the founder, creative director and fashion designer of the Feng Chen Wang brand marries her signature constructed designs with innovative methods of engineered artistry to create technical apparel with elements of traditional sportswear.

Wang, who is best known as a menswear designer, has also designed womenswear for this collection, which includes brassieres and leggings, as well as menswear suitable for women.

"When I was a child, Nike was a dedicated sportswear brand. But in recent years, Nike has been transforming itself into a lifestyle brand, a trendsetter, both diversified and inclusive," said Wang.

The assessment actually echoes with Wang's own definition of fashion.

"Fashion is an attitude, reflecting who we are as every individual. It doesn't matter how other people see us; we are true to ourselves. As a designer, my creative inspiration often draws from my personal experiences, cultural upbringing and the influences of the people around me," Wang said.

The signature Transform Jacket, inspired by Wang's mantra "To own less is to own more", features removable components that create versatile styling options and promote a more sustainably minded lifestyle.

The garment has removable components to allow the jacket to take on more than 30 variations.

The inspiration came from Wang's personal experience as a globe-trotter, a lifestyle seemingly requiring an unlimited number of styles without repeating herself on various occasions.

"I kept thinking of how to mix and match to create different looks with a minimum number of clothing items to carry while traveling," she said.

It is no easy task and was actually a four-year labor of love in the making.

"How to transform a jacket into a dress, a vest or even an evening gown? It is like solving puzzles," Wang said.

The designs have also reflected her roots in China.

For example, the leggings with yellow lines as vertical patterns come from the channels of the human body, based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, an understanding of which is crucial in working out and keeping fit.

"When I am wearing these leggings, it reminds me to work out and to get relaxed through sports during my busy schedule. Like Nike, I aim to create more inclusive and sustainable products. Regardless of gender, age, body type or what sports one likes to play, everyone can take pieces of a garment apart and combine them until a perfect match is found."

Vincent Du, vice-president of merchandising at Nike Greater China, said the collaboration is proof that the company has invested continuously in performance innovation as well as style innovation, as one of the world's largest apparel companies.

"We are helping athletes not only surpass their performance limits, but also express their personalities and individual styles," Du said.

For example, the company has rolled out FIT and FIT ADV technology to facilitate performance, with the latest technological innovations in dry fit, storm fit for rain and windproof functionality, and thermal fit for cold days, as well as Nike Forward for environmentally friendly efforts.

In China, the company has assembled a team of about 40 designers for locally relevant products based on the observations and insights of domestic consumers.

"The local designer team has been focusing on product development and the procedures to establish a quick responsive system for local consumers," he said.

Last year, based on the analysis of data from the Nov 11 shopping festival, the team took only a month to design and develop new products for the Dec 12 shopping festival.

Du added that the strong local capacity in supply chains and consumption appetites has also enabled rapid progress.

The recent collaboration with FCW is a joint effort to enhance local innovations and to elevate the focus on products for female consumers, he said.

"We are glad to work with a local designer who is on the global stage of fashion design, further integrating with local culture and understanding athletic apparel. Chinese consumers are leading the world in fashion and innovation, inspiring us to push further in product design and development," Du said.