Hella Jongerius-designed fabric used for new Nike shoe

Lifestyle / Fashion design / Product design

One of the redesigns of the iconic AF1 shoe from Nike was fashioned from a high-low tech textile designed by Hella Jongerius for Maharam.

By Editor Design.nl / 01-04-2009

Eighteen innovators from around the world in the fields of sport, music, art & design were invited to each create an original version of the AF1 shoe, one of Nike's shoe icons. Called Nike 1World, the collection will be made in a limited edition.

New York-based textile company Maharam was selected to participate in the project, based on their distinct approach to textiles and prominence in the world of interior and industrial design.

Maharam’s interpretation of the AF1 introduces a silhouette constructed of Layers, a textile created by the Maharam Design Studio in collaboration with Hella Jongerius. Layers, produced in single and double layered variations in 100% wool felt, uses sophisticated full-width embroidery equipment played against artisanal hand-cutting to create patterning, resulting in an “industrial craft” hybrid. This already complex textile was further engineered to meet the specific needs of the AF1. The result represents a multi-disciplinary undertaking, bridging disparate aspects of industrial design including sports technology and textile design.

Layers is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Cooper-Hewitt.

Available on 1 April 2009, the 1 World AF1 by Maharam will be sold exclusively at Moss in the United States with locations in New York and Los Angeles.