Halima Aden has been cast as a member of Riccardo Tisci’s new fictional basketball team, the Victorious Minotaurs, for his collaboration with Nike. The project, which was teased on Tisci’s Instagram account, was unveiled on Tuesday and features a range of men’s and women’s sportswear, as well as accessories. Aden, the first hijab-wearing model, stars in the campaign alongside Duckie Thot, Dej Loaf, Blessin Giraldo, Steph Turner, Khalid Vaughn, Youssouf Bamba, Kelsey Plum, D’Angelo Russell, and Hugo McCloud.
The Victorious Minotaurs collection will consist of four pieces for men, including a button-down shirt and T-shirt, and three pieces for women, as well as accessories including hats and pins. There will also be two colorways of Nike’s iconic Air Force 1 sneaker. The campaign comes as Nike prepares to launch its Pro Hijab, a high-performance athletic hijab, set to be available in Nike stores and online (nike.com) in early December.
This isn’t Aden’s first dalliance with the sportswear giant. The 20-year-old, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp, is an ambassador for the brand’s new Air Max 97 sneaker campaign to celebrate 20 years of the classic sports shoe. She has also joined the likes of Serena Williams and Bella Hadid as a spokesperson for Nike.
The NikeLab x RT Victorious Minotaurs will launch globally on October 21 in NikeLab stores and online.
