Four Women Talk Style And Sport, All While Taking Nike’s Sustainable Trainers For A Spin

Who runs the world?

Updated on10th August 2021 at 11.23am

Post-lockdown, aspects of the way we dress have fundamentally changed. Our closets have become more relaxed, for one. And an industry-wide conversation about the impact of our consumption on the planet means brands are reassessing their practices. Certain items have emerged as perennials: a bold pair of trainers, for example, and leisurewear that can be dressed down or up.

At Nike, fashion’s new mindset has led to the development of the VaporMax 2021 FK, one of the brand’s most sustainable trainers ever, made from at least 40% recycled materials by weight. ‘Our athletes never stop striving for better, and neither do we. This constant pursuit of progress inspires everything that we do at Nike, and we’ve set bold, science-based targets in the sustainability space to not only strive for better, but to ensure we’re tracking against our goals to protect the planet and the future for sport,’ Nike's product design lead, Jesi Small, has said of the innovation (Nike is also working with its extended supply chain to divert 100% of waste from landfill, with at least 80% being recycled back into Nike products and other goods by 2025). Here, four gamechanging women put their spin on the shoe.

Kelechi Okafor, actor, director, podcast host and founder of Kelechnekoff Studio

Kelechi Okafor ©Olivia Lifungula

Seamless crop top, £24, Free People; sportswear tech pack skirt, £67.95, and VaporMax 2021 FK trainers, £199.95, both Nike; jewellery, Kelechi’s own

Kelechi often finds herself filming stream-of-consciousness videos – touching on subjects ranging from politics and race to self-care – after a run by the river sparks an idea. ‘Running is like moving prayer for me and prayer is a conversation. I’m out there with no make-up, my hair any which way, because women should be seen, sharing what they want to share, and just be respected for that.’

Kelechi is helping to shake up the narratives around women’s bodies, particularly those policing young women (after being told she was ‘too muscular for a girl’ at school) and post-pregnancy weight loss. ‘People are looking for a flat tummy that doesn’t have any proof that you’ve birthed an entire human being,’ she says. ‘I’m not going to give society that.’ Between running and hosting classes at her pole dance studio in Peckham – a space that she founded to be as inclusive as possible – Kelechi’s activewear gets a lot of use. ‘If you choose great pieces, they last,’ she says. As well as being meticulous about looking after what she owns, Kelechi follows Aja Barber, a fashion consultant who talks about ‘how sustainability and fashion don’t have to be the antithesis of each other’, says Kelechi. ‘You can enjoy fashion and be conscious of how you’re enjoying that fashion.’

@kelechnekoff; @kelechnekoff_studio

Jameela Elfaki, photographer, DJ and founder and editor-in-chief of AZEEMA

Jameela Elfaki ©Olivia Lifungula

Running unitard, £72.95, and VaporMax 2021 FK trainers, £199.95, both Nike; fringe jumper, £590, Jil Sander at Yoox; jewellery, Jameela’s own

Always a sporty kid, Jameela excelled at running, high jump and long jump, but has recently picked up football again. ‘I play for Hamster FC. It’s a grass roots women’s team and is one of the best things I’ve done for myself, for the community aspect and keeping active,’ she says. Even off the pitch, Jameela’s style veers towards practicality. ‘As a photographer, you have to get your hands dirty. But I’ll mix in a cute top and nice earrings.’

It’s AZEEMA – the magazine, community and creative agency she founded in 2017 to give a voice to women from the Southwest Asia, North Africa and South Asia diasporas – that Jameela considers her greatest achievement. ‘There was nothing speaking to that demographic, no fashion imagery or magazines. My background – half-Sudanese, half- English – felt like a special intersection. I was exploring my heritage through photographing women from these regions, looking at different interpretations of the word “azeema” or strength.’ Jameela believes the events of last year have helped make fashion more accessible. ‘Young designers are doing amazingly at the moment and that’s really shining through.’

@jameelaelfaki; @azeemamag

Alice Tate, head of PR at The Hoxton

Alice Tate ©Olivia Lifungula

Shirt, £355, and skirt, £475, both Jacquemus at brownsfashion.com; VaporMax 2021 FK trainers, £199.95, Nike; jewellery, Alice’s own

For Alice, life used to run at 100 miles an hour, starting with cycling to a spin class, followed by long days of meetings, then work/repeat. ‘I’ve so cherished approaching things in a calmer way,’ she says of the slow down, which, incidentally, has been mirrored in her wardrobe for some time. As a former fashion journalist who now writes a travel blog advocating health, wellness and life outdoors, she still appreciates clothes but doesn’t follow trends.

‘I’m much more passionate about experiences and getting joy from them,’ Alice explains, adding that she’s been particularly cheered by the camaraderie at her local lido this summer. ‘There’s such a different demographic of people to what you’d usually see in a gym,’ she says. ‘It’s old grannies and dads and everyone has been in the same boat.’

@alice_tate

Felicia Pennant, fashion journalist and founding editor-in-chief of SEASON

Felicia Pennant ©Olivia Lifungula

Dress, £595, Simone Rocha at matchesfashion.com; Dri-FIT fast running shorts, £31.95, and VaporMax 2021 FK trainers, £199.95, both Nike; jewellery, Felicia’s own

As the founder of SEASON, a zine that celebrates football and fashion, Felicia, unsurprisingly, has a wardrobe of treasured football shirts. ‘I’m a fan of clothing as art and as a document of our time,’ she says, adding that her jerseys ‘are exhibitable in my house’. As well as being fascinated by the rental revolution, Felicia has hosted upcycling workshops with designers such as Hattie Crowther, who makes corsets out of old football shirts. Since launching in 2016, SEASON’s mission has been to counter the stereotypes about female fans and make space for marginalised communities in a sport that, Felicia says, desperately needs more intersectionality and people of colour in positions of power. Her ninth issue will be themed around Black joy. ‘Let’s talk about Black people in football who are thriving...rather than just asking Black people over and over to “relive that racism”.’

@feliciapennant; @season_zine