Megan Rapinoe lands Nike ad campaign, draws comparisons to Colin Kaepernick's controversial deal with apparel giant
USWNT co-captain and multiple-time Women's World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe will be featuring alongside model Binx Walton and director John Waters as the faces of Nike's latest campaign.
The trio will be starring in a capsule collection from Nordstrom vice president Olivia Kim, who has partnered with Nike for Nike x Olivia Kim, according to the New York Post, which has been described as a fusion between "90s subculture in New York where DIY fashion reigned the streets and youth culture everywhere was reclaiming their childhood through sartorial expression."
The collection, titled 'No Cover,' is said to be inspired by a wardrobe Kim wore as a teen and the Nike sneakers from that era, and stems from her growing up in New York.
It is set to feature t-shirts, a puffer coat, hoodies, sports bras, as well as Nordstrom-exclusive pieces that reference the iconic Betty Boop, all priced between $32 and $240. Kim has also reportedly reimagined five classic Nike silhouettes -- Air Force 1, Air Jordan IV, Air Mowabb, Air Footscape, and Air Max 98 -- that one can buy for anywhere between $120 and $190.
Rapinoe's tie-up with Nike has drawn comparison to the deal Colin Kaepernick signed with the sporting apparel giant. The former NFL quarterback had courted controversy beginning 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest against racial injustice and systematic oppression in the country.
The protests had gone on to be adopted by several players in the NFL, with it catching the attention of President Donald Trump, who suggested that the NFL should "fire" those who disrespected the anthem.
Kaepernick did face the repercussions for his protest and, to this day, is still a free agent without a team, though it did also see him became the face of Nike's 'Just Do It' ad campaign.
The parallels are there in the case of Rapinoe, who has been outspoken in her criticisms of Trump and famously said she had no intention of going to the White House even if the USWNT ended up winning the World Cup, which they did.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh had suggested at the time that Rapinoe was looking to strike a deal with Nike with her public protests, stating, "So here we have the captain of the American women’s soccer team reluctant to sing the national anthem. Do you know what I think this babe may be angling for? Kaepernick. She wants a Kaepernick deal with Nike. Damn straight. She’s angling for a Kaepernick. She’s showing Nike she can be just as anti-American as Kaepernick. Give me a chance. Let me do the LGBTQ angle of Kaepernick."
The 'No Cover' collection will be available at Nordstrom x Nike boutiques and Nordstrom.com/xNike on Oct. 31.