KNWLS Brings Its Signature Design to Nike’s Performance Gear

Co-founder Charlotte Knowles explains the design process behind the transitional pieces, including a new take on the Air Max silhouette.

KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike

Summary

  • Nike and London-based label KNWLS have released a 10-piece collection that repurposes athletic technology for fashion-forward apparel.
  • A central piece, the Scythe corset, is constructed using Nike Flyknit yarns typically reserved for footwear, marking a new application for the material.
  • The collaboration also introduces the Air Max Muse, a new footwear model that combines the aesthetics of ballet flats, vintage football trainers, and KNWLS’s signature boots.

Nike’s Flyknit technology was developed to create a shoe upper that felt like a second skin. Now, those same yarns are being used to construct a corset. This piece is central to a new 10-piece collection from Nike and the London-based label KNWLS, a collaboration built on reinterpreting performance materials for a wardrobe that exists beyond the gym.

The project addresses the fluid nature of modern dressing, where athletic wear is integrated into daily life. “To me, and I think to most women, sportswear is so transitional. I want to go play badminton wearing something practical and comfortable for the sport but also feel attractive and reflective of my style,” says Charlotte Knowles, co-founder of KNWLS. “The idea that you could even wear these pieces to the club after a run, that’s where we were coming from when designing the collection.”

KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike

This idea takes shape in the Scythe corset, which features an exaggerated dip at the hem, adjustable closures, and lace-up detailing. The use of Flyknit yarns in a structured garment represents the collection’s main goal. “For this collection, we wanted to use Nike innovations in new ways to create timeless, appealing sportswear for women,” Knowles explains.

The approach extends to the apparel. A second-skin Ghost top and pant are made from a circular knit with an Asutex wash, with the top featuring graphic cutouts. The Joan twinset includes a weatherproof jacket and a double-layered skirt with an interior tight short. Its custom technical plaid fabric is woven with reflective thread, and contrast seam taping recalls the boning on KNWLS’s signature corsets, directly merging athletic details with the brand’s design language. A short-sleeve Storm top uses a bleached plaid Dri-FIT fabric, cut with a fitted waist.

KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike
KNWLS x Nike

The footwear is similarly hybrid. The new Air Max Muse silhouette blends elements from ballet flats, vintage football trainers, and the KNWLS Fang boot. “We created a bespoke molded TPU toe reminiscent of our Raptor boots, resulting in a completely new trainer silhouette,” says Knowles. The shoe’s shape, inspired by a KNWLS 2020 footwear collection, is paired with the sculptural Air Max Muse sole and finished with quilting and light spray artwork.

An accessory, the Razr Run bag, reworks a KNWLS design in nylon and leather with a rubber base modeled on Nike’s original waffle outsole.

The campaign features a diverse group, including Nike athlete Imani-Lara Lansiquot, model Soo Joo Park, contortionist-dancer Evgenia Nirka, and artists Crystallmess and VTSS.

The collection will be available through KNWLS on October 14, followed by a global release at select retailers on October 15, and on the SNKRS app and at select Nike stores starting October 23. Prices range from £79.99 (approximately $100) for the Storm Fit Top to £274.99 (approximately $344) for the Joan Jacket.