January 21, 2019 |
Data protection is something that affects all of us, whether or not you understand how it really works. Just by reading these words here, your computer is saving the information of your interests, and then perhaps targeting you as their focus of an advertising campaign they are launching tomorrow. Pardon my simplified example, but you get the gist – everything we’re doing online is seen and recorded, in true George Orwell style. But instead of felling alarmed by this fact, some creatives are taking the matter into their own hands and using these ideas as part of their creative process. Matthew Williams of Alyx is one of them. For his second capsule collection with Nike, Williams was inspired by the ways data reveals things that are normally unseen. This is transformed into a garment through the design process behind the main fabric – a camouflage print that was designed by computational algorithms.
Camo, a print normally used to become one with nature, has now become an outcome of technology, merging the artificial with the organic. But it’s not just about the aesthetics, camouflage is reflecting the purpose of the clothes – hardcore outdoor trainings its wearers, athletes go through. The pieces themselves – Sherpa fleece, two-in-one trousers, utility vests and detachable hoods – are all about multi-function, an element which is always present in Williams’ work at Alyx too. And just like that, outdoors training seems a little less scary.
The second Alyx x Nike collection is currently available to shop from a pop-up space in Paris, 11 Rue Béranger, 75003. It launches online globally on February 7th.
