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At first glance, FKA Twigs might seem an odd choice to be the face of Nike’s latest hard core compression tights, rather than the brand’s traditional choice of elite athlete, but delve into her back story and it starts to make perfect sense.
The performer, who has been dance training since the age of three, was tapped by the athleisure giant to be creative director of its NikeWoman Spring Zonal Strength Tights video campaign, meaning she conceptualised, cast, directed, composed the soundtrack and eventually performed in a bid to prove creativity, exercise and expression through movement aren’t all mutually exclusive.
The resulting video at the bottom of this story, shot in Mexico City, is dark and moody, confronting and emotive in the eerily exotic – all the hallmarks of an FKA Twigs production.
Of course, this isn’t the first time of late Nike has stepped away from its athlete roots and engaged a lifestyle celebrity to front its wares: news that Bella Hadid was a new face of the brand raised some eyebrows last year, with some pundits complaining her naturally thin physique and model status sent the wrong message for the fitness label.
No such thing, however, can be said of Twigs. Like everyone else cast in this magnetically eerie video, she is an elite-level dancer and regards it her primary form of physical exercise. “Since as early as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with training and taking classes,” she comments on the Nike website.
“When I was three years old, I started taking dance classes at a local youth center, and by the time I turned seven, I was training in six different dance styles. Then I started acting. By the time I was eight or nine, I was singing.
“People don’t always see dancers as athletes, but we are,” she continues. “To me they represent ‘modern movement’, which I define as exploring any genre of sport without boundaries. As a dancer, I try to embrace my fragility and accept that where I’m at is good enough.”
“When Nike first came to me with this project, I saw it as an opportunity to let young people know they have the power to become the best versions of themselves. I put together a cast of 12 incredible athletes to show that it’s about what you do in fitness gear. It’s about how you train. It’s about how those things help your movement.”
Of course, the entire purpose of the video is to flag Nike’s Zonal Strength Tights for both men and women, which were launched globally today, January 12, and come in advanced running and high-waisted general training iterations. The high-tech leggings have built-in compression zones that support muscle groups most important for runners and core-focused exercise, without limiting movement. Both styles cost $170.
Whether or not Twigs’ video will inspire people to buy them, or exercise more in general remains to be seen, but it’s impossible to not be impressed by her mad skills in this two-minute video clip.
Watch the full vid below and tell us your thoughts!
