Founded in 2011 by graphic artist Sk8thing and England-born Toby Feltwell, Tokyo-based Cav Empt gets all the eyes on it in a brand new collection with Nike. The duo are able to tie their distinct outlook, a marriage of respective creative talents with British and Japanese reference points, to a set of core sportswear classics: the Air Max 95, a track suit, a jersey, a cap and a vest.
"In the early 2000s, a Nike Tracksuit paired with Nike Air max was the uniform of the London Streets. We started C.E. a decade later, and though we were in Tokyo, images from that time and place have been consistently with us," says Toby Feltwell. "We looked at this opportunity to work with Nike as a way to interact with these images more directly. We are engaging in a sort of time travel. The project with Nike has allowed us to work in the present to redesign our past.” The articulation of the Nike x C.E. tracksuit pant is evidence of this action. A cinching behind the knee changes the silhouette from a straight leg to a more attractive, updated fit. Then the football reference, representing the strong link between sport and streetwear in England, and the color-blocking graphics on the tracksuit, showing again the strong tie with trends of the last decades.
The Nike x Cav Empt collection, including sneakers and apparel, will release worldwide on January 10.
