The leading sports performance brand, Oakley in its endeavour to push the boundaries of performance, inspire and unite athletes of all abilities presents a new collection.
“Kokoro,” a Japanese word meaning ‘heart; mind; spirit,’ unifies athletes of all abilities, professional land every day alike. Embodying the brilliance and beauty of humanity, the collection aims to inspire a sense of belonging and community in a time where the need has never been greater.
Oakley tapped Tokyo-born, Brooklyn based artist Meguru Yamaguchito to design the collection because of his unique style that pushes the possibilities of art, gesture and form, by creating sculptural paintings. Meguru met with Oakley visionaries, designers and Team Oakley athletes to explore the unifying qualities of the sport before bringing his one-of-a-kind artwork to life.
Each individual product is completely unique, having been created through a specialized spin technique utilizing a custom-made machine created specifically by Oakley engineers to replicate Meguru’s style of brush strokes. “I was very excited when Oakley reached out to collaborate, as I’ve been a fan of the brand since my high school days,” said Meguru. “When I connected with the athletes as part of the discovery phase, I was moved by their united passion for the sport. Designing a collection that was emblematic of this shared passion was core to my process and I’m thrilled with the results.”
With the launch, Oakley has pledged to make a donation of $200,000 to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), sharing the love to support their global work in helping countries prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m grateful to Oakley for this generous and creative contribution to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund,” said Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the UN Foundation. “The Kokoro Collection promotes the spirit of global solidarity that will be necessary to defeat this virus. We are truly at our strongest when we work together, as one team.”
“The Kokoro Collection celebrates how a universal love of sport can unify our community,” said Ben Goss, Oakley Global Marketing Director. “We’re proud to offer our support to the World Health Organization which is addressing the global pandemic with passion and precision.” The Kokoro Collection launches with Flak®2.0XL, Radar®EVPath®, Sutro, Frogskins®, EVZero™ Blades, Flight Jacket and Jawbreaker™. All pieces from the collection come equipped with Oakley’s leading Prizm™ Lens Technology, designed to enhance colour and contrast so athletes can see more detail.
Launching worldwide on July 23rd, the special edition collection drops in India across leading optical stores.
For more information on the Oakley® Kokoro Collection designed by Meguru Yamaguchi, visit Oakley.com.
