Olympian Dina Asher-Smith Talks Design of Nike’s New 24.7 Collection
Nike athlete Dina Asher-Smith knows the importance of collaboration. The Olympic sprinter played a role in the development of Nike’s new 24.7 apparel collection, which made its debut this month.
The men’s and women’s line was created to support the athlete’s complete lifestyle, featuring a range of product that offers an elevated, polished look.
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“I’ve been part of quite a few of the prototype processes over the years,” Asher-Smith explained. “I’m an elite athlete. That’s who I am. But there’s 24 hours in a day. I’m not running the whole time. I also have the experiences of being a woman going shopping, going to brunch with my friends, and it’s about how I take Nike into those spaces. So I give feedback on many different avenues. It’s just really acknowledging that everybody has a different purpose.”
For Nike, blending performance with comfort and style is part of its recipe for success.
“Style is something that we have to carry across everything we do,” added Jaclyn Safley, GM, Global Nike Training, Women’s. “Versatility is one of the key reasons that consumers buy — knowing that they can not only wear it for the workout, but it’s something like that you can wear throughout the rest of your day.”
Nike 24.7 features two new technical materials, the Impossibly Soft Spacer-knit fabric and the PerfectStretch, a tailored, four-way stretch fabric, to do just that.
These materials are seen in items such as a half-zip and crew-neck silhouettes, as well as a women’s jogger and men’s pant, along with a pleated skirt, wide-leg pant and woven shirt for women, and chino and five-pocket pants for men.
“Women want the full spectrum of self expression, whether that’s close to body and body forming, or it’s about shape and proportion. It’s taking those performance benefits in different styles and silhouettes to make sure that we’re serving all of her needs,” Safley said about the 24.7 collection. “Not everyone wants to be in like a matching bra and legging set that’s super close to the body.”
Asher-Smith, 29, has been a professional track-and-field athlete since she was 16. Most recently, she won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay for team Great Britain. This year, her goal is to take home four gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, but what keeps Asher-Smith grounded is knowing that she’s more than just her sport.
“[Winning] used to be a leading pillar. Obviously I want to win, obviously I’m working hard. But I also know that the same person, whether I win or I don’t. Fundamentally, I’m the same person. I think that’s a beautiful grounding thread,” she said.
The Nike 24.7 apparel collection is available now on nike.com and at select retail locations starting Jan. 30.
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