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Perhaps the most surprising thing about Ben Affleck’s Air is that for a film about Nike, hardly anyone on screen is wearing trainers. That may be disheartening for global sneakerheads hoping to see some of their favourite pairs on the screen, but what the film demonstrates through the work of costume designer Charlese Antoinette (full name Charlese Antoinette Jones, but she usually drops the Jones) is how the business of trainers affected, well, trainers being appropriate for doing business.
“I had a lot of fun building these characters and telling a story through their clothing,” says Antoinette. “It was a way to let everybody know this is the early ’80s, before Nike got cool.”
Indeed, the story positions Nike, today the world’s largest sportswear company with revenues of about $46.7bn, as an underdog compared with then dominant brands Converse and Adidas. In the early ’80s, the latter was the ne plus ultra of covetable trainer brands, with a roster of star athletes and endorsements from pioneers of the burgeoning hip-hop scene, including Run DMC. Then, in 1984, Nike made an audacious gamble to endorse a young basketball player who would go on to change more than just the game. That player? Michael Jordan.
The film — with a star-studded cast that includes Affleck himself alongside Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman and Viola Davis — depicts how the renegade spirit of the company and its passionate employees eventually led to one of the coolest shoes of all time. It culminates in the creation of the Air Jordan 1, a silhouette designed by Nike’s first creative director, Peter Moore (played by Matthew Maher), in 1985. The shoe became an instant phenomenon, selling $126mn in its first year. It also sparked a transition from wearing kicks on the court to wearing kicks just about everywhere.
The Jordan 1 doesn’t see any screen time until the film’s denouement, yet there are plenty of Nike running shoes that make an appearance — most of them on the feet of Nike co-founder Phil Knight (Affleck), who wears early models such as the Daybreak and the Cortez, the running shoe prominently featured in Forrest Gump.
As Knight, Affleck is styled as a start-up founder dressing the part — his ties are often undone, he pairs his suits with Nike shoes or goes barefoot. Some of his most memorable looks are when he’s sporting era-appropriate neon Nike running gear.
“I had him being the only one wearing sneakers to work because he’s the CEO and he created the brand,” says Antoinette. “No one else would be allowed to wear sneakers to work. It wasn’t acceptable as it is now.”
Moore is the other character who also regularly appears in trainers — in his case it’s Nike Blazers — which he teams with printed woven shirts and patterned knits worn over jeans.
“I related to that character the most because as a designer — we’re quirky. So I really wanted to pull out that nerdy ’80s vibe with him,” says Antoinette. “Designers are in the basement and they have their own thing going on — as creatives they’re quirky and weird. So that’s how I rationalise breaking those menswear rules in the film.”
As Antoinette points out, wearing trainers to work is no longer novel. Tennis-inspired low-tops are an acceptable part of the nine-to-five uniform in almost every professional setting. The costumes in Air remind us of a time when power-dressing was at its prime, as evidenced by characters such as Nike VP Howard White (Chris Tucker), whose three-piece suits command attention on a man whose job it is to woo professional athletes. Then there’s David Falk (Chris Messina), Michael Jordan’s DC-based superstar agent, who would fit right in on Wall Street.
“His suits are so slick, his hair is slicked back, and he has all the accoutrements: the cufflinks, collar bars — he’s just fully kitted out with all the bells and whistles,” says Antoinette.
For most of the film, Damon’s character, the voracious basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro, who is hell-bent on signing Michael Jordan, wears a sensible pair of brown penny loafers and a variety of textured polos. His style evokes the late ’70s — Antoinette wanted him to look a bit dated, to reflect the Pacific Northwest’s late adoption of contemporary trends.
“Sonny’s the schleppiest person in the office because he’s the guy who is relatable,” she says. “He comes off more like a high-school basketball coach in his vibe and dress. And that was also based on how the real Sonny dresses.”
Early in the film, Knight and Vaccaro acknowledge that Nike’s running shoes have found an audience in people who may not run but who appreciate the comfort the shoes provide on a day-to-day basis. It sets the stage for what the Air Jordan brand would do — turn colourful trainers into a full-on fashion statement, and eventually a cult status symbol that’s exploded into the mainstream. Think of the paparazzi pictures of JFK Jr a decade later: photos of him walking the dog or fiddling with a camera on a New York street clad in a bright yellow gilet over black Nike warm-up pants and a pair of Nike trainers.
Antoinette’s costumes for Knight depict him as a predecessor to the avant-garde thinkers and plucky start-up founders of today. Knight’s trainers-with-a-suit begat Mark Zuckerberg’s predilection for heather grey T-shirts, and venture capitalists in form-fitting base layers and Vuori trousers paired with comfortable trainers from brands such as On, Salomon and New Balance.
Much of Air is about breaking and bending the rules of business, but it also does the same for dress codes. The rise of Nike and the Air Jordan brand started the slow march towards dressing down becoming the new dressing up. Feel like ditching your hard-bottomed Derbies for a pair of minimal running shoes? Would you rather wear the patent leather-accented Jordan 11s with a tuxedo to a wedding? Just do it.
‘Air’ is in cinemas from April 5
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