Just Do It

Inside Nike’s super secret new showroom and fitness studio in New York’s Soho, 45 Grand, which opened this spring in a former metalwork shop, designer Rafael de Cardenas- he has designed the actress Parker Posey’s home and interiors for the likes of Baccarat in addition to jaw dropping installations and pop ups- along with Jen Brill, designed the space for the Nike Women brand. In the fashion world, showrooms are essentially a safe place for editors, buyers, and stylists of very important clients to experience a collection- to ask questions, inspect details, feel fabrics and understand a garment’s nuances. At certain showroom appointments, models are even on-hand to help visualize pieces on the wearer- how they move with the body or drape across it, which features they accentuate, and what proportions they require.

And at 45 Grand- named for its address- Nike’s goal is same…to educate and provide an experience. But the interiors are nothing like what the industry has come to expect. When it opened with a workout space and by-invitation-only access, a few haters hated, calling it a fancy, exclusive fitness studio for the media elite. But for Nike, who produces mostly performance apparel, a showroom without a treadmill and gym floor would be a huge disservice to its guests. The two levels were designed to celebrate the Nike Women brand specifically, with an approach to femininity in a tougher way- think tough girl- touching on the phrase strong is the new skinny. But what you ultimately get at 45 Grand, in addition to the brand experience, is a real, intense workout. www.45grand.com