Exclusive: AMBUSH’s Nike Dunk High and NBA Collection Up Close
founder Yoon Ahn is the first female designer to partner with and the National Basketball Association (NBA), delivering one of the most anticipated of 2020, alongside a stunning apparel collection. We’ve been treated to at the daring sneaker all year, and now we’ve managed get our hands on a pair for an exclusive up-close look.
‘The project began with a conversation about making women feel proud to represent their favourite teams,’ says Yoon. ‘We were considering how to balance the culture of the sport without losing style.’
AMBUSH’s approach to the iconic Dunk channels Japanese bike, car and truck culture, coming through with a mind-bending elongated and heightened form. The side Swooshes extend beyond the heel like bike pipes, complementing the black and white tones which dominate the uppers.
According to Yoon, she thought, ‘How can I make the shoes almost look like this moving thing?’
Dropping alongside the AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High will be Yoon’s Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets apparel collection, which draws on her multidimensional, multidisciplinary point of view.
‘I thought of all these amazing and strong female characters from the 90s who would come out in men’s clothes, and I wanted to see how we could carry that attitude, but bring in more feminine forms,’ she explains.
As a result, Yoon transforms the familiar tearaway basketball warm-up pant into a seasonally-appropriate, insulated trouser complete with a playful, contrast-colour double waist band.
The AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High, and AMBUSH x NBA Collection releases globally on December 11.
Be sure to check of Sneaker Freaker Magazine for an exclusive one-on-one with Yoon, and much more. Find out where to buy it .