Two years ago, Chinese designer and artist Susan Fang joined Nike in Yunnan’s rural province for the Boundless Girl initiative, where she created a colorful, nature-inspired playground to encourage girls to run freely and pursue their passions.
That same spirit of gentle strength and resilience now finds a new form of expression in Susan Fang’s Nike Women’s Artist Collection.
For her first Nike footwear and apparel collaboration, Susan drew inspiration from elements of nature — flowing water, refracted light and blooming flowers — to craft a design language that merges natural inspiration with athletic expression.
The collection celebrates women’s strength, where grace and determination move as one.
“I wasn’t a natural athlete growing up, but I always loved the energy and memories that sport brings,” says Susan.
Best known for her dreamy silhouettes and ethereal color palette, she uses intricate craftsmanship to channel joy, energy and hope.
“I feel so lucky to work with Nike in blending sport, design and style to express the dynamic beauty of people and nature — and to keep those emotional connections alive."
Susan’s love for nature is deeply rooted in the influence of her mother, a self-taught painter whose works capture pastoral beauty and vitality in a unique way.
Infused with maternal warmth, these creations inspire key elements of the collection.
Two classic Nike footwear styles carry forward Susan’s personal story: The retro Nike V2K Run, featuring silkscreen ripples from one of her childhood drawings, and the Nike Dunk Low, reimagined with jacquard fabric inspired by her mother’s paintings.
Both silhouettes are adorned with embroidered flowers blooming around the Swoosh — a tribute to the shared creativity of Susan and her mother.
The footwear is joined by apparel highlights including a versatile jacket with three-dimensional beaded blossoms, sports bras and shorts adorned with forget-me-not prints, and expressive shoulder bags, socks and long-sleeve tops.
A palette of airy blues, fresh greens and soft yellows reflects emotions of love, memory and renewal.
Susan’s inspiration for the collection began while diving, when she sought to capture the fleeting yet powerful moment as sunlight cut through the water and met the rising bubbles.
Water droplets became a recurring motif, brought to life through her signature hand-beaded details: Swooshes that ripple like streams and three-dimensional blossoms that appear almost weightless.
These organic forms — soft yet strong — symbolize women’s resilience and elevate athletic performance into an emotional statement of style
“My hope is that when people wear this collection, they feel a kind of joy that’s small but deeply real, like the bubbles of light I once saw rising through the water on a dive,” says Susan.
The Nike Women’s Artist Collection in collaboration with Susan Fang will be released this month. Keep an eye on our Sneaker Releases.
Photos via Nike
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