The Vitra Design Museum is dedicating an exhibition to Nike’s design history – from the beginnings of the iconic ‘Swoosh’ logo to current innovations. ‘Nike: Form Follows Motion’ shows unique prototypes, sneaker rarities and highlights Nike’s influence on sport, pop culture and society. On show from 21 September 2024.
The history of Nike design ranges from the experimental beginnings in the 1960s and the design of the famous “Swoosh” logo in the early 1970s to innovations such as the Air sole and current research into sustainability and new materials. With “Nike: Form Follows Motion”, the Vitra Design Museum is presenting the first museum exhibition on the world’s largest sporting goods brand from September 21 to May 4, 2025 – and is thus building on the summer marked by major international sporting events.
The exhibition traces the company’s rise from a local start-up to a global phenomenon and focuses on Nike’s design history. At the same time, the show, curated by design historian Glenn Adamson, aims to examine the role of sport in our society and the almost mythical adoration of sneakers and sports fashion in pop culture and social media.
Nike was founded in 1972 by Phil Knight, who was an active runner himself during his college days, and his former coach Bill Bowerman. Since then, the company, named after the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, has developed into the world’s largest sports brand. With annual sales of over 50 billion US dollars, Nike is also the largest clothing company in the world. Design, according to the announcement, has played a significant role in this success: “Nike products are visible in everyday life wherever you look, often characterized by the interplay of dynamic shapes, innovative materials and highly effective branding.
For the first time, a curated selection from the company’s own archive, which includes more than 200,000 objects, is being presented. In four chronologically organized sections, unique pieces, rarities and prototypes of models such as the “Waffle Trainer”, the “Air Force 1” and the “Shox” are on display. Original drawings, design studies, historical films and photographs show the work of the designers at Nike. Names such as Diane Katz, Tinker Hatfield and Eric Avar are firmly associated with the company; they are complemented by external designers such as Marc Newson, Hella Jongerius, Comme des Garçons and Virgil Abloh.
The collaboration with designers (from competitive sports as well as recreational sports) in the design process is also examined. Prominent examples include collaborations with Michael Jordan, Andre Agassi and Serena Williams. In addition, a total of 50 striking product collaborations from Nike’s history illustrate the company’s close ties with communities, youth and subcultures, “which also reflect social changes and discourses on diversity and inclusion”. In doing so, it is said, “it becomes clear once again that design in the world of sport is not just about performance, but also about body ideals, participation, self-expression and the deeply human need to push boundaries and discover new things”. The exhibition is accompanied by a wide range of events and workshops on the subject of sport and design.
