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Copyright 1998 Information Access Company,
a Thomson Corporation Company;
ASAP
Copyright 1998 Capital Cities Media Inc.
WWD

October 1, 1998

SECTION: No. 196, Vol. 175; Pg. 12; ISSN: 0149-5380

IAC-ACC-NO: 21184949

LENGTH: 391 words

HEADLINE: NIKE IS TRYING TO CUT BACK ON THE SWOOSH; Brief Article

BYLINE: Feitelberg, Rosemary

BODY:
NEW YORK -- "My name is Gordon, and I'm an abuser of the Swoosh."

That's how Nike's Gordon Thompson, corporate vice president and creative director, introduced himself at a fashion show here to present the company's spring line.

Thompson was acknowledging the need for "Swoosh intervention," but said that even though it is plagued by market saturation, Nike hasn't quite hung up its famous logo.

However, the Swoosh is smaller and harder to find in Nike's spring collection, which was unveiled last week at a fashion show at the company's showroom here. Unitards, halter tennis dresses, tanks with mesh backs, performance swimsuits, boy-leg briefs and running vests with reflective piping are some of the more nontraditional pieces in the line.

The company also stamped its Swoosh on some unusual colors for the activewear market -- lilac, lime, teal and gray.

While Thompson repeatedly said the company is not "killing" its icon, he said Nike would use variations of its logo, such as the company name written in script; "Alpha," a new five-dot logo, and the NikeTown logo to identify its brand.

"Alpha" -- high-end performance apparel, footwear and equipment that is new for spring -- has a five-dot logo. Dri FIT, items made of microfiber and other fabrics that wick moisture, has been folded into the Alpha group.

Alpha will be available first in basketball and tennis products. Basketball players in the Women's National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association will be among the first high-profile athletes to sport Alpha.

Sleeveless basketball tanks are designed to keep players dry, and tennis shirts are treated to protect against ultraviolet rays.

Thompson mapped out aggressive retail expansion plans. By spring 2001, Nike aims to have 315 concept shops with 16 retailers, covering 252,000 square feet. The company currently has five concept shops with two retail partners that total 4,000 square feet.

During last week's event, Nike introduced support sport bras and briefs, which will be available at retail in the fall.

The 12-piece collection was developed in conjunction with the VF Intimates coalition of VF Corp.

Knowing that many women purchase bra tops before any other activewear, Nike aims to build its customer base with this new category, Thompson said.

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

IAC-CREATE-DATE: October 8, 1998

LOAD-DATE: October 09, 1998