Experiencing Nike x Melitta Baumeister, A Groundbreaking Collaboration

November 03, 2025

Melitta Baumeister believes in the power of movement. So, it was inevitable that the German-born, New York-based fashion designer would eventually leap into the sportswear space.

“Run Like No One” is the project we have been waiting for from Baumeister. Her sportwear debut, and first ever collaboration, sees her reinventing Nike’s Vomero Premium shoe, an iconic model that has never been co-created with anyone before, making this a truly groundbreaking collaboration for the pair. Hand-painted and uniquely finished in orange, Baumeister’s sculptural sensibility is integral to every detail, with her signature branding throughout and a distinct eye logo on the sole. The Nike x Melitta Baumeister Crimson-Orange Vomero Premium will be available on SNKRS, melittabaumeister.com and select Nike retailers.

Extending far beyond being a surface-level collaboration, office magazine had the opportunity to visit their immersive experience firsthand. Surreal and meaningful, the experience was a rumination on motivation, identity, and of course running. A day later we caught up with Baumeister online to discuss everything about this new collaboration. Read our full conversation below.

Text and Interview by JohnOswald Crichton
Photography by David Spector

How are you doing today, Melitta?

I'm good, the day after you always feel like you could sleep another 12 hours. I'm so pleased about yesterday, and still in the clouds about how it all turned out.

So, how did this amazing collaboration with Nike come about?

We were already in touch with Nike, doing our Spring-Summer 25 show in September last year. Nike was supporting us by providing sneakers, and that was when the whole conversation started. We were able to build a show around sports, and Nike coming in just made it feel like we had more ideas. Using a Paralympian as a runner to start the show, and hairstyling in the theme of speed. We had this hair that is like flying so that it was as if you were running. We started to create a world about movement. Then going forward, we were asked by Nike to work on re-envisioning the Vomero Premium, which was then super exciting.

How was it working on a performance sneaker, rather than traditional footwear with your brand?

It was very different than working on your own shoe from scratch, already having a product that is finished, and working for the first time with materials like laces that we would usually not have. It was exciting to reinterpret something that already exists, which we've never done before, as this is our first collaboration. So, it was super exciting to do after-effects on something that is already there, and that was exciting as we had to think about colour and print. Usually, we work in a more sculptural way, where we try on pieces and see things in 3D. So, we wanted to work on different layers of colours and adding the paint over it, which was all hand-painted, so giving that 3D effect was super important.

Where did the inspiration come for the colour? Your brand does a lot of neutrals normally.

I wanted it to feel, sporty, glowing and powerful, very classic Nike. Nike has worked so much in the past with these glowing colours, and that feeling of powerful sports. I didn't want to have colours that are specific fashion colours. So, working with a classic colour was what I wanted to do, and then add our twist to that.

Especially like on the sole with the eyes, what was the inspiration behind that?

We were thinking of what could we print on? And what story we could tell? So, when we started thinking about the whole picture of storytelling, I had this idea of when you are self-conscious and thinking “I'm not a pro yet”. Not long before that, we came up with the tagline, “Run Like No One Is Watching”, as the core essence of the shoe, with the eyes being representative of that tagline.

Could you tell me more about that tagline? What does it mean to you?

What that means is, you don't have to be pro in order to move. Not seeing it from the perspective of, running 5K and then counting your Strava goals, but more as something that can inspire you. Your brain functions completely differently when you run, and there is something about the clarity that you have when you're running that puts you in a different state of mind. I like to approach running more from a feeling perspective, rather than counting steps. “Run Like No One”, obviously is wordplay, from “Dance Like No One Is Watching”, and means run freely. Whichever stage you are at, you can still do it.

It's a great message. You can really see it throughout the immersive experience. Was it mainly your idea or was it in collaboration with Nike? How do you think of the concept? Because it's kind of very surreal.

The idea is purely from the brand. I'm very grateful, Nike allowed us to do something that has not been done much before, and I just had this idea of telling a story about starting to run, or not being sure about how to run, from a very humanizing perspective, an honest realistic view of running. That's something that I just wanted to tell, and I thought telling that with an immersive experience was just the best way.

Would you ever make sportswear or sneakers for your own brand outside of this collaboration with Nike?

It sounds so far away, seeing the background of what went all into it, and how long it takes to go from first step to the last step. Just doing only our project, even though the shoe was already there, was such a huge project and so many people working on it. It feels like a far-fetched dream. Obviously, it's an amazing way of working. I think it's amazing to have something that you can run with. I do like the collaborative aspect a lot, because I like when something is figured out, and obviously Nike is a brand that is known for running and high performance. I think working with someone that has a specialty in something and then collaborating on the visual aspect and storytelling for it, is something that I like a lot.

You said just you enjoyed working within a pre-existing product, but was it challenging or even enjoyable?

It was more so joyful, actually, because I didn't need to deal with production. This is more like working on creative directing and coming up with ideas. Obviously, I think it's a very different way working for an independent brand than working with a very big company. I think there's just a lot of different ways of working, and it's difficult as an independent brand but I wouldn't say it's challenging. It's more like it was amazing that we can come up with a colour, and there is a technician that figures it out for us.

Did you have many of different ideas that you developed and didn't go forward with that you would want to do in the future, or was it the singular product that was your only intention?

The product itself was proposed by Nike, so we had that constraint. I had struggles with choosing the colour. There were more samples made that looked amazing, and we had to choose one, so, that was exciting. We had so many ideas that we had to narrow down, which was quite nice to have that restraint, but just thinking about a performance shoe, and a sneaker in general is a very new way of working for me, so, I'm very inspired by it. There is a forthcoming collection to come, so that's very exciting.

So, is there anything from this process that you feel like you could bring back into your main collection?

It is making me really think that how the collection we do is more high-end fashion and dressed up. I think people are so much into the day-to-day life where you don't dress up that much. I think offering things that are more for your daily life is something that I'm very inspired by.

Do you have a final message you would like to say about this collaboration?

What I wanted to say with this way of presenting is that running can be for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or already there, it's really for everyone. Running is a way of being creative, a way of expressing yourself.

Fashion

PUMA x Ahluwalia

Ahluwalia is all about ethos. From sustainability to social responsibility, you’ve built a brand really grounded in its moral identity. How has this evolved over time?

Through my experience before I started my brand, reading about the state of the world, traveling, and seeing all these different experiences, I started to realize quite early on that if we're going to make clothes and create things, there are just better ways to do it. And so from the beginning, I've just tried to do things that are better for people on the planet, and create less waste, and make decisions through different parts of the process. It's not just about fabric and sourcing, but it's about who we work with and how we work with them, representation, and inclusion. [We do this] across the industry, in all different areas, with every business decision. For a lot of our set designs, we rent things rather than build things. If we've ever built things, we've then repurposed them. It’s about making decisions that keep people and the planet in mind.

This collection is described as a “love letter to African football culture.” What would the first sentence of that letter be?

I think I would say: “Africa is multifaceted.”

Africa is 54 countries, 56 if you count two that the UN doesn't, and it's a vibrant, vast, beautiful continent. I think that in so many different areas, Africa is not put on the pedestal that it deserves to be put on. With my work in general, this collection, and all my collections, I always want to grow my knowledge about the places that I'm from and the countries around where I'm from. It's vibrant. It's powerful. There's an abundance of joy, skill, and talent that I think that the world should pay more attention to.

The PUMA T7 tracksuit from 1979 has been worn by everyone from Pelé, Brazilian football legend, to Madonna, international popstar. It's one of those silhouettes that carries so much cultural memory. When you go into an archive like PUMA’s, how do you decide what should be reinterpreted versus left untouched?

There are parameters to these types of projects. If it was possible, I would love to have gone a lot wider, and pulled more pieces, because the archive was just honestly a treasure trove. I think it was one of my favorite experiences across my time of working with PUMA. I think it's been two years now I've been working with them, and that was definitely one of my favorite experiences. I think that the reason that I wanted to do a T7 is that it's so recognizable. And being able to work into an iconic tracksuit like that, an iconic shape that does have so much cultural capital and heritage is an opportunity. We’ll recognize that shape as a PUMA shape, but they'll recognize the fabrication as something that maybe feels a bit more Ahluwalia than the PUMA main line. So it’s an honor to be able to work into those heritage pieces.

Green appears on the flags of African nations more than any other color. What role did the color green play in this collection?

For me, the beginning of the design process was quite rooted in West Africa, particularly Nigeria. But I'm also Indian. Green is also on the Indian flag. So I kind of knew straight away I wanted green to be in it, just to represent really. Also, because I was researching different elements and looking at fans from different countries, green was so prevalent. But also, green, red, black, yellow, are quite Pan-African colors. And so I knew that I wanted to work with those colors quite a lot. And I thought, I'm really happy with the trainer. We have two colorways, and I knew I wanted one of them to be green. And I thought, people who are from the global south will feel the colors in it, everyone's gonna love the colors! People can wear it no matter where they're from, but I do feel like there is a shared understanding of that color scheme, and it was kind of an homage to that. It works as a detail, but yeah, it was definitely a key.

I’m really intrigued by the fact that the jacquard in this collection is meant to mimic the look of a stadium filled with cheering fans. How did you approach the process of translating an experience so kinetic and loud into a static textile?

The fabric has been woven into that pattern [rather than] printed with ink. It’s a slightly different texture, and it has depth to it, right? The surface is not entirely flat. Basically, what we did was, we took photos of fans in the stands of different games at different scales, and then sort of pixelated them and made them three color. We played with the scales of them and made a kind of tapestry. And then we turned it into the shades of red and black. When you look at the fabric, because it's a Jacquard and not print, it's got this almost static. The sound was static. You can kind of see that. And that's how we sort of translated it. I wanted it to be a fabric that's beautiful to wear. It definitely feels like there's movement within it, because the different knitted stitches are so small and varied in color that it feels like when you look at the fabric, it moves.

What kickstarted your love for fashion, and what keeps you there?

I've always loved fashion since I was really young. My mom was always very into what she wore and was always really well dressed. And I always found that I loved trying on her clothes, and I loved going with her shopping and things like that. I liked watching her get ready to go out. She always wore three red lipsticks every day. She doesn't wear that anymore, but she used to wear red lips every day and have a big blowout. And I found that quite exciting. And I used to live above my granddad's news agent, and he would order me whatever magazines I ever asked for. So he would order me all the fashion magazines. And then on the weekends I'd get to read them. He’d order me i-D and Vogue and Dazed and all these different magazines. And I was, I've always been quite a bookworm. I read them from quite a young age. So I think I was just instantly attracted to that when I was thinking of picking up magazines within the stores. Both of those things really kick-started it. I kind of always knew this was what I wanted to do. Actually, I don't really remember wanting to do much else. I went through a phase of wanting to be a vet, but it made me really sad. So I went back to fashion.

Fashion

HEAD GOLF: From Structure to Freedom

April 24, 2026

HEAD GOLF’s SS 2026 collection reflects a quiet transition from structure to freedom. Rather than relying on predictable sporting imagery, this collection centers on atmosphere and interaction. The brand invites a broader and more cultural perspective on golf, suggesting that it can belong to architects, designers, founders, thinkers and individuals who value aesthetics, detail, and sense of individuality as much as performance. By reframing golf through a softer, more human lens, the campaign unfolds space for new narratives and new participants. It is not about redefining golf loudly, but about allowing it to feel contemporary, creative, and quietly alive.

Creative Direction by Ka Ho Kam
Art Direction by Masha Osorio
Director Alexandra A. Garcia
Cinematography by Vladimir Potop
First Assistant Jupiter Gregory Jones
Second Assistant Fallou Seck
Digital Imaging Technician Alexandra Kuhn
Set Design by Taja Feistner
Set Dressing by Tomi Heady
Styling by Jensen Edmondson
Styling Assistant Andrea
Styling Assistant Polina
Makeup by Tatyana Harkoff
Hair by Kyle Malone
Hair Assistant Vika Osyhenko
Production Assistant Jenny Na
Production Assistant Linnuo Zheng

Fashion

Fabian Kis-Juhasz: The Idea of Constructed Intimacy

April 24, 2026

The Hungarian fashion designer Fabian Kis-Juhasz unveils his new campaign: "The collection is an iteration of the recurring themes, concepts and techniques that I keep going back to. I liked the idea of intimacy being constructed through tension, and how this is echoed in the construction of the garments. None of the lines and cutouts are traditional and in that way they feel almost random, but everything is engineered and nothing is by chance. I also like the push-pull between the jersey and athletic pieces and the more structured and controlled ones."

"When I pitched the collection to Bella she really liked it, but we never really went into details about what it means. I think it was just a very organic match. She came up with the idea of shooting with the bunnies and I immediately said yes. The references her idea conjured up, the colours of easter, the symbol of the egg, the Lewis Carroll of it all just felt so perfect. I also loved that she proposed them as self portraits. I feel like it harkened back to this idea of constructed intimacy."