Nissan and The Woolmark Company Combine Their Innovation Skills for a New FE Team Kit

The Woolmark Company has brought Merino wool to the forefront of the performance-wear industry, revolutionising the sports world. The Woolmark Company's values include reducing environmental impact, so the brand's collaboration with Nissan's FE Team was a natural fit.

The team kit consists of Merino wool t-shirts, jackets, polos, and more.

Courtesy: Nissan and Woolmark official

The Woolmark Company is joining Nissan FE for Season 9 as the official technical partner, assisting Nissan and its racing team in developing a performance-led Merino wool team kit that maximises comfort and endurance. The goal of this collaboration is to not only keep racers in the zone through performance-driven uniforms, but also to highlight Merino wool's environmentally-friendly qualities, in the same way that Nissan's FE races have introduced zero-emission electric vehicles to the mainstream.

Nissan will compete in the ABB FIA FE World Cup Championship for the fifth time this season, ushering in the Gen3 era. A new era means a new standard for motorsport team uniforms. The Merino wool blend kit is made up of three basic layers: a base layer, a mid-layer, and an outer layer made of 50% Merino wool.

"Our partnership with The Woolmark Company will provide Nissan FE Team with a high-performance kit made with natural Merino wool fibre. This demonstrates once again that, as in FE, high performance and sustainability can coexist," says Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director, Nissan FE Team.

For maximum pairing options, the team kit will include t-shirts, polo shirts, trousers, mid-layers, softshell jackets, shorts, and caps. The pieces' technical qualities include efficient moisture management, thermoregulation, and breathability — all of which are ideal for a fast FE team.

Not only is the range defined by its utility, but the Merino wool from which it is made is also 100% natural, recyclable, biodegradable, and renewable. "The innovative nature of Merino wool parallels the technology behind FE thanks to manufacturing techniques and engineering between our teams," The Woolmark Company Managing Director John Roberts explains.

Merino Perform certification applies to the entire collection. The team uniform will be on display throughout Season 9 of the World Championship, which runs from January to July 2023.

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Milan Men's Fashion Week begins with a new muted Gucci

The first menswear collection from Gucci without former creative director Alessandro Michele was unveiled on Friday. After years of presenting in a co-ed arrangement, it was Gucci's first standalone show and served as the official start of Milan Men's Fashion Week. It was undoubtedly a far cry from its Twinsville presentation in September.

Swati Bhat

Look 39 from Gucci Men's FW23, via Launchmetrics Spotlight

As the sound of a bass guitar and vocal filled the air, models began walking out in a moment that both literally and figuratively stripped the house from its recent past, breaking with the ornamentation and poetic styling that have become synonymous with Michele’s aesthetic. The multi-sensory, colourful and genderless expressions were gone, making way for a languid, if more sober, silhouette.

A new simplicity

This resulted in a simplicity that was new for Gucci, even if it is a direction other luxury houses have been adopting since the return of catwalk presentations after the pandemic. As Kering’s most lucrative brand, any transition between appointing creative directors and setting new strategies will need to be micro managed to not lose any customers or sales momentum in the interim.

Billowing trousers, teamed with oversized jackets and floor-length coats brought a sporty vibe to Gucci’s fall men’s offer. In terms of styling, it steered clear of anything too slick, even when compared to the house's former designers Tom Ford and Frida Giannini eras. With the beanie ubiquitous to most looks, it was heavy on the eighties, with layered leg warmers and pixie boots a recurring trend. Accessories were kept to a minimum, at least on the hardware so favoured by Michele, but bags in yellow and pink brought colour, and a lurex top and trousers were a nod to his inclusivity and vintage-inspired creations.

Sportswear was big, with aerobic stripes and ski-themed separates that felt, well, theme-y, making apparent the urgency to appeal to younger consumers. What it lacked was a focus on luxury, or of any craftsmanship reflecting Gucci’s rich past.

Lacking a luxury focus

Gucci Men's FW23 Look 48, via Launchmetrics Spotlight

Fashion houses often wipe the slate clean when they announce new creative appointments, and so expectations at Gucci were not dissimilar. While Mr Michele’s exit came as a surprise to many, and despite any accrued brand ennui in recent seasons, there was a collective acknowledgment toward him for revolutionising genderless dressing and ushering in brand inclusivity. His strength, in the early days at least, was that for every pussy-bow blouse sold to a man, thousands of Double G logo belts and accessories flew off the shelves. This propelled the house to strive for the 10 billion euro mark back in 2018.

No doubt this season was a challenge for the Kering-operated house, having to pivot to a new era, one that bridges the past and lays the foundation for whoever it appoints as its next creative leader.

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