Watch: Nike Forward Introduces a Bold, New Sustainable Fabrication

In our evolving culture, efforts for a more sustainable and ethical approach to living are no longer a peripheral intention, but a defining challenge – and opportunity – of our time. Now, Nike are rewriting the future of garment production with a daring innovation platform, Nike Forward, which introduces a new material fabrication process – a unique needle-punch technique – which significantly reduces the carbon emissions of traditional Nike knit fleece.

Joining forces with Nowness, this innovation is captured in Greys, a new film directed by Barcelona-based Nur Casadevall and set in Uzbekistan. Moving through the dark urban spaces of the city, and navigating natural airy spaces, a dancer dons the first pieces from the Nike Forward line: a grey hoodie and a sweatshirt. The new fabrication is 3D rendered in the air, rippling and beckoning a future without carbon, as humanity drives towards a dynamic, sustainable new era heralded by Nike. 

The processes in this first iteration use no water in dyeing and finishing, and its new fabrication can be made with waste of various types – including industrial, pre-consumer and post-consumer. Not only does the innovation provide solutions for athletes, this new material sets a new standard for global production. Through research and experimentation, fashion can hold the key to designs that combine timeless style, adaptable wear, and welcome a future circularity.