Polymathic performer Parris Goebel – a choreographer, dancer, artist, athlete and actress who hails from New Zealand – united with Nike Women yesterday evening (5 July 2023) for an immersive one-off event at Paris’ Accor Arena titled ‘Goddess Awakened’.
Set against the backdrop of haute couture week A/W 2023 currently taking place in the city, the liberated performance was a celebration of what Nike called ‘the collective power of womanhood through movement, style and self-expression’ and featured 30 dancers and athletes.
Nike’s ‘Goddess Awakened’ with Parris Goebel
‘Throughout history, women have been told how to act, what to say, how to feel – tonight is about breaking those binds and letting our voices be heard, our bodies be acknowledged, and our wings take flight, together,’ said Goebel, who drew inspiration from the sportswear brand’s namesake, Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
‘To me, there is no better way to express the love, grief, power and femininity of this moment than through dance, and I’m grateful for Nike’s partnership in giving me the stage, literally and figuratively, to do it,’ she continued.
The 40-minute performance – directed, choreographed and led by Goebel – marked the latest chapter of Nike Women, ’one where the brand is a platform for celebrating and empowering female creativity and self-expression through the lens of community,’ as Liz Weldon, vice president of global Nike women’s brand management, described.
Comprising vigorous routines and dramatic sets, ‘Goddess Awakened’ placed a focus on movement – a central focus for the Nike Women line, which uses innovative construction techniques to outfit diverse body types for the demands of various sports.
‘Goddess Awakened’ also showcased a number of upcoming collaborations with women designers, including Feng Chen Wang, Ambush’s Yoon Ahn and Martine Rose. The latter presented pieces from the Nike x Martine Rose collection, which was inspired by outfitting women’s football players off the pitch (as such, it features a number of tailored garments).
‘When a woman wears a suit, it expresses strength, resilience and beauty. I want women to feel powerful in their suits, the way men do,’ she said. ‘More than that, although I’m using women to tell the story, there’s no gender attached to the suit, anyone can wear it. I hope one day we’re not talking about gender in sport and are just talking about the sport – once everything is stripped back, it’s just the game that’s left.’
