Nike Stages Electrifying Dance Performance in Paris
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PARIS — Nike staged an electrifying dance performance Wednesday night, marking its first sashay into a Paris couture season.
The extravaganza, called “Goddess Awakened,” took place at the Accor Arena on the river Seine. It was choreographed by Emmy Award-winning Parris Goebel, a New Zealand dancer and founder of Palace Dance Studio. The show’s name nods to the mythical Greek character Nike, goddess of victory, after which the sports company was named.
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In attendance were some of the fashion flock linked to the brand, including designers and Nike partners Simon Porte Jacquemus, Martine Rose, Yoon Ahn and Feng Chen Wang, as well as model Adwoa Aboah and Nike athletes Chloe Kim and Oksana Masters.
Setting the scene were large, amorphic white shapes, which looked like mountains. White-clad people marched onto the stage and uncovered a row of white treadmills. Those were put to good use, as dancers warmed up and started showing their moves under green, then white strobe lights.
This was a dance of many acts and stars, all channeling Goebel’s bold, rhythmic “Polyswagg” style, but the underlying message was always the same: women’s empowerment.
Dancers’ costumes featured Nike Women’s clothing, plus current and upcoming collaborations from Ahn, Wang, Jacquemus and Rose.
Groupings of women often danced in unison, while sometimes a soloist took the spotlight, like a break dancer or wellness advocate and yoga instructor Rebeckah Price. Paralympic athlete Scout Bassett lapped the stage, and fencers Ibtihaj Muhammad and Saoussen Boudiaf performed a dramatic mock bout.
Other Nike athletes and collaborators in the performance were Lip J, Da Ting and India Sardjoe. Billie Eilish and Sha’Carri Richardson lent their voices.
The dance performance came a year before the Paris Olympics in summer 2024, a key event for Nike, and a month after the brand unveiled its Well Collective, denoting a shift in historic focus from competitive sports, such as running, to a more holistic approach, involving movement, wellness, mindfulness and nutrition. It is heralding Nike’s new era led by women’s voices.
Prior to the show, VIP guests waited under the bright blue sky.
Ambush’s Ahn said that among her upcoming projects is a Ledger collaboration due out in the early fall. It will be a cold wallet for storing digital assets and cryptocurrencies.
She’s been highly active in the Web3 space, including holding virtual backstage access at Coachella and creating an accessory for Reese’s Puffs in the metaverse, for instance.
Ahn doesn’t play sports, but is highly involved in holistic wellness.
“I do a lot of meditation now,” said the designer, adding she pays attention to nutrients in food and mental wellness, like when it’s necessary to get good rest. “Little things — daily habits — are something I’m paying a lot of attention to.”
For wellness, Wang works out at the gym and practices yoga while traveling. The menswear designer said her brand has always focused on sustainable design and lifestyle.
Wang said she’s excited about her tie-in with Nike, to help the brand inspire women and people who care about wellness, style, fashion and lifestyle.
“Everything comes together,” she said. “This is something we also think about, and that we can change for the future.”
Looking around at people preparing to enter the stadium, she said: “This is a very international platform. It’s kind of like a bridge-builder.”
Aboah has been building bridges between people to better mental health.
“We are bringing back the podcast, which is really exciting,” she said, referring to “Gurls Talk,” from her community-led nonprofit organization of the same name created to promote mental health and wellbeing for adolescent girls and young women.
“It’s incredibly exciting, and we’ve got the most insane list coming on to talk,” she said.
Gurls Talk also just finished a program with Nike, called “Coach Corner,” which is mental health programming for coaches to support their students and teams.
The Wellness Collective strikes a deep chord with many.
“What feels especially special about that is it is at the core of who I am as a human being,” said Tara Nicolas, a Nike trainer. “I am so proud that the brand is going for it. They’re really elevating everything revolving around her and how to take care of yourself from the inside out.
“They’re getting very specific about wellness, and bringing in experts in each of those pillars to support our community,” she said.
Launch Gallery: Nike "Goddess Awakened" Event During Paris Couture Fall 2023
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