Louis Vuitton Designer Kim Jones Talks the Inspiration Behind His Nike Collab

Jones on his "Packable Sport" gear and Air Zoom LWP update.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The NikeLab collection designed by Kim Jones, style director of Louis Vuitton's ready-to-wear men's line, isn't just an excuse for the Swoosh to slap the name of a fashion designer on its products. The gear making up the collaboration was born out of a real necessity, as described by Jones in the new clip here.

"I was thinking very much about flat packing and how things could be as small as possible," he says. This approach informs apparel that can be folded down and compressed into items that best suit a traveler's lifestyle.

In the video, Jones also explains his history with the Air Zoom LWP, the footwear centerpiece of the project. The background story is one that should sound familiar to sneaker obsessives.

"I got a Japanese magazine one day, and I saw the LWP in it," he says, "and I was just like, 'Oh my God, these are amazing.' I always thought it was quite an underrated sneaker. So I thought it would be really nice to revive it."

The first wave from the Kim Jones x NikeLab collection releases on July 23 here.