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Yoon Ahn for NikePreppy staples with a rebellious twist
The sportswear brand and the renowned designer return with a varsity-inspired collection that will actually make you want to go back to school.
By Julia Carevic
26 August 2024 · 2 min read
Nike and Yoon Ahn have teamed up again, and let’s just say, it’s a great time for prep fans. The sportswear brand and the renowned designer have been working together since 2018, launching highly sought-after apparel and sneaker drops. This time, the duo has created a varsity-inspired collection that’s nostalgic with a modern, rebellious twist.
If you’re familiar with Ahn’s work, you’ll know she’s no stranger to incorporating school uniform codes into her designs. The Ambush co-founder often mixes pleated skirts, varsity jackets, and button-ups with cropped silhouettes and distressed elements. And that’s exactly what she continues to do in her latest collection for Nike.
All six pieces are hued in classic sports colours like “Armory Navy” and “Dark Team Red” and stamped with Ahn’s distinctive design cues. There’s, for example, the oversized varsity jacket, a real statement piece with raw-edge hems at the front and back and an ”N” patch on the chest. Or the vintage-inspired, cropped cardigan with an oversized fit. Other pieces in the collection — two pleated miniskirts and two polo shirts — are more subtle but just the style staples you’ll need to nail the preppy look.
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The collection evokes the golden years of adolescence, transporting us to an imaginary campus and a time of rebellion and new experiences. And with that, Ahn hits a nerve. For decades, fashion has had an ongoing penchant for campus style, often sparked and nurtured by cult films and TV shows, where, more often than not, the outfits are as important as the drama and gossip.
Take, for example, the ’80s cult film Heathers, which stars Winona Ryder and features shoulder-padded blazers and pleated miniskirts. The outfits are as memorable as the teen black comedy itself. A decade later, Cher Horowitz and her famous yellow plaid two-piece from Clueless dominated the mood boards, further cementing school uniform codes in the fashion world. Another ’90s classic, the American teen supernatural horror film The Craft, opened the world of preppy cardigans and pleated skirts — now paired with leather boots and lots of eyeliner — to those who loved grunge fashion.
Then, the ’90s ended, and the new millennium began, but the love for campus style stayed and even reached new heights when Gossip Girl premiered in 2007; you either loved Blair Waldorf’s preppy take, topped off with her signature headbands, or Serena van der Woodsen’s rebellious route with loosely knotted ties and untucked shirts. Cut to today, and Saltburn and Maxton Hall feed the ongoing obsession with polo shirts and knee-high white socks.
Pop culture moments like these have popularised the preppy aesthetic over the years, but it’s most certainly not just about the looks. They’ve also fostered a romanticised idea of campus life, which has long been a symbol of rebellion, self-discovery, and light-heartedness. Through clothes like Ahn’s designs for Nike, you can bring some of that into your everyday life — whether you actually go back to school or not. So why not start with a few prep school essentials like a pleated skirt, a varsity jacket or a polo shirt to get you ready for the new season ahead?
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