Gone are the days when wearing sweatpants outside the comfort of your home was a sign of defeat, as Karl Lagerfeld used to say. He'd dread the state of fashion today, when sportswear has become not just fashionable but widely spread as well. But what if sportswear could be more?
Millennials probably recall the days when sportswear for outerwear was something only A-listers like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears could pull off, and they, too, only because of their celebrity status. Back then, the Powers That Be in fashion (like Karl Lagerfeld) looked down on those who wore sportswear outside of the gym.
Today's relaxed current in styling is to pair sports leggings with a gorgeous wool coat and a cotton hoodie and call it the pinnacle of modern sophistication – in some circles, at least.
Sportswear isn't just for sweating it out at the gym or on the court, is what we're saying. It doubles as outerwear and daywear, and it's even deemed fashionable. So why not take it to the next stage, then? Nike is proposing to do that by adding extra functionality to sportswear and effectively turning it into camping gear.
Photo: Nike
That's probably the most ridiculous thing you've read all day, but Nike is promising it works. Forget about camping tents or sunshades because they have a poncho that can do both of these things. Obviously, you can still wear it as a poncho, so how's that for making the most of your hard-earned buck?
This is called the Metamorph Poncho, and it was launched by Nike's sub-label ISPA just a short while ago. ISPA stands for "Innovate. Scavenge. Protect. Adapt." so a product like this one makes sense knowing this. It imagines the urbanite of today as some sort of modern McGyver adventurer having to survive on his own with very few resources, so, of course, he's going to get a transforming poncho.
The Metamorph is a loose-fitting poncho if you wear it as one, and a one-person tent if you use it on the ground. Nike promises it will withstand rain and even harsher weather, delivering year-round warmth and protection from the elements. "Some extreme weather conditions" might make the use of the tent unlikely, but who would go camping in extreme weather in the first place, right?
Photo: Nike
The poncho is made of several nylon layers, which means it's lightweight enough to make it comfortable for all-day wear. Fashionable all-day wear, we might add – and you also get a color-contrasting hood and side and back pockets for extra convenience.
When the time comes to set up camp, you simply collect the collapsible poles you've been hiding in the rear pocket slash vent and get to work to set it up. The same pouch can be used to store the poncho when you don't feel like wearing it. Setting up the tent is a matter of mere seconds, according to the company, and they promise detailed instructions for ease of use.
As a tent, the Metamorph comes with a two-way zip closure and enough space to spread out on the ground comfortably. The way Nike puts it, the product's surprising three-fold functionality (as poncho, sunshade, or sleeping tent) makes it highly adaptable to its environment.
Photo: Nike
Though the product's description notes that Metamorph is 100% cotton, the same text adds that it's "made with at least 75% recycled fibers," while another note mentions nylon. ISPA actually recycles fishnets and carpets, using them to create new, recycled nylon yarns. Again, this is in keeping with the label's motto to scavenge (sort of) and "adapt."
Jokes aside, the idea of making overcoats with tent functionality isn't new – though the notion you could go camping with it is. In fact, it's been floated around in one form or another for at least a couple of decades, but it was always more like a design study, mostly with applicability in the context of the housing crisis.
In other words, previous designs that imagined an overcoat that could double as a tent did so because it was assumed that the homeless people wearing it would feel safer if they carried their shelter on them at all times. But this isn't the case here, and not just because it's Nike who's doing it. The Metamorph Poncho is currently available online for $600, which is... not cheap.
Photo: Nike
But if Balenciaga and Mercedes-AMG F1 can make face masks designed to be aerodynamic even though they're meant to be worn when you're walking, Nike can make overcoats you can take with you camping, as the actual camping gear.
Laugh as we will today, but a poncho like this one will probably be the hottest accessory to have by next year's Coachella or similar popular festivals. And Nike will be laughing then, all the way to the bank.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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