AMBUSH® Takes on Basketball Culture

As the first female designer to partner with Nike and the National Basketball Association (NBA), YOON delivers an energetic attitude, signature AMBUSH® detailing and fresh styling to female hoops fans.

“The project began with a conversation about making women feel proud to represent their favorite teams,” says YOON. “We were considering how to balance the culture of the sport without losing style.”

Drawing on her multidimensional, multidisciplinary point of view, YOON reimagined Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets apparel. “I thought of all these amazing and strong female characters from the ’90s who would come out in men’s clothes, and I wanted to see how we could carry that attitude, but bring in more feminine forms,” she says.

Specifically, YOON transforms the archetypal tearaway basketball warm-up pant into a seasonally-appropriate, insulated trouser complete with a playful, contrast-color double waist band. The look approximates the peeking out of game short under warm-up pant, and creates a seamless uniform appeal with a set of form-fitting long-sleeve tops that revisit classic NBA jersey aesthetics. YOON’s ode to the ’90s is most overt in the collection’s two jackets, both presenting unapologetic team word marks.

Complementing the apparel is the AMBUSH® approach to the iconic Nike Dunk. Channeling Japanese bike, car and truck culture, the shoe is given an elongated and heightened form, with Swooshes extending beyond the heel-like bike pipes. “I thought, ‘how can I make the shoes almost look like this moving thing?

’” says YOON.

The effect is arresting, and in conjunction with the collection affirms the opportunities ahead for sharing new perspectives and creative expressions with basketball culture.

The Nike x AMBUSH NBA Collection releases globally December 11.