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<h1 class="left">On May 11, 2026, eight designers arrived at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon for Air Works, the brand’s inaugural research, development, and design residency. Coming from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo, each designer is both a product of their city and an active force in shaping what comes next within it. The class of ’26 represents a generation of creatives whose practices were formed through the subcultures surrounding them, envisioning the futurity of their communities in real time.</h1>
<h1 class="centre">Running through May 14, the residency brings the cohort into collaboration with Nike mentors and Zellerfeld, the 3D-printing company redefining what footwear can physically become. Each designer is set to develop an Air Max concept rooted in personal history and the local influences shaping their visual language. The residency becomes a collision of eight distinct perspectives, each reflecting a different way of moving through the world.</h1>
<h1 class="centre">Air Works positions these creatives as translators of culture: channeling the movement and energy of their respective cities into new forms. What emerges is a redefinition of what Air Max can represent for the next generation when the people actively driving culture are the ones shaping the object itself.</h1>
<h1 class="left">While on campus, the designers are given access to spaces rarely opened to outsiders, including the Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, the Department of Nike Archives, the Nike Sport Research Lab, the Blue Ribbon Studio, and the Bowerman Footwear Lab. Air Max has always belonged to the people who wore it first. The inaugural Air Works residency is the path to imagine where that legacy goes next, pumping new vitality into the beating heart of the iconic shoe.</h1>
<h1 class="left">Meet the cohort:</h1>
<h1 class="left">Diya Joukani, Mumbai (@diyajoukani): Self-taught founder of DiyaDiya Studio, Joukani has put cool girls from around the world on the map. Fusing Indian embroidery with streetwear silhouettes, the visual world Joukani constructs draws artistic inspiration from the people and communities of her vibrant city, and takes Mumbai to the world.</h1>
<h1 class="left">Marc Su, Beijing (@marc5uuu): Independent designer Marc Su channels his passion for Air Max in material-driven design rooted in craftsmanship and experimentation. Su’s work reflects the tension between nostalgia and futurism, translating his cultural influences into designs that determine the futures of sneaker culture.</h1>
<h1 class="right">Jose Wong, Shanghai (@3thisisye): Shanghai-based artist and creative Jose Wong reimagines everyday life through a playful mix of fashion, art, and street culture. Blending East and West influences with avant-garde styling, the visual world Wong constructs blends inspirations from Shanghai’s nightlife, ever-evolving youth communities, and the city’s restless energy.</h1>
<h1 class="right">Masyn, Los Angeles (@masynmasyn): Embedded within LA’s creative ecosystem, Masyn has built a world where clothing, jewelry, and everyday wear become extensions of personal identity.</h1>
<h1 class="left">Hatsuki Motoi, Tokyo (@htk2626): Founder of Blue Room, Hatsuki Motoi brings a distinctly Japanese lens to contemporary street culture. Inspired by Tokyo’s sneaker scene and the people who shaped his creative journey, Motoi’s work transforms personal memory into a visual language that is intimate and universal.</h1>
<h1 class="left">OMI, New York City (@stfuyoutalk2much): Uptown-born and raised, artist OMI has become one of the most recognizable names emerging from New York’s streetwear underground, specializing in airbrush design.</h1>
<h1 class="right">Tasnim Chowdhury, London (@nottasnim): A Central Saint Martins fashion designer, Tasnim Chowdhury transforms personal memory, heritage, and textile craft into a visual language where storytelling and handmade detail exist in conversation with one another.</h1>
<h1 class="right">YAMS, Paris (@yams_9102): Founder of BANDOZI, YAMS channels the energy of Paris’s underground creative scene into a universe of cloud motifs, silhouettes, and experimental streetwear. YAMS’s work captures the rebellious spirit of a new generation reshaping the visual identity of Paris from the ground up./h1>
<h1 class="full">On May 11, 2026, eight designers arrived at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon for Air Works, the brand’s inaugural research, development, and design residency. Coming from Beijing, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo, each designer is both a product of their city and an active force in shaping what comes next within it. The class of ’26 represents a generation of creatives whose practices were formed through the subcultures surrounding them, envisioning the futurity of their communities in real time.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Running through May 14, the residency brings the cohort into collaboration with Nike mentors and Zellerfeld, the 3D-printing company redefining what footwear can physically become. Each designer is set to develop an Air Max concept rooted in personal history and the local influences shaping their visual language. The residency becomes a collision of eight distinct perspectives, each reflecting a different way of moving through the world.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Air Works positions these creatives as translators of culture: channeling the movement and energy of their respective cities into new forms. What emerges is a redefinition of what Air Max can represent for the next generation when the people actively driving culture are the ones shaping the object itself.</h1>
<h1 class="full">While on campus, the designers are given access to spaces rarely opened to outsiders, including the Air Manufacturing Innovation facility, the Department of Nike Archives, the Nike Sport Research Lab, the Blue Ribbon Studio, and the Bowerman Footwear Lab. Air Max has always belonged to the people who wore it first. The inaugural Air Works residency is the path to imagine where that legacy goes next, pumping new vitality into the beating heart of the iconic shoe.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Meet the cohort:</h1>
<h1 class="full">Diya Joukani, Mumbai (@diyajoukani): Self-taught founder of DiyaDiya Studio, Joukani has put cool girls from around the world on the map. Fusing Indian embroidery with streetwear silhouettes, the visual world Joukani constructs draws artistic inspiration from the people and communities of her vibrant city, and takes Mumbai to the world.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Marc Su, Beijing (@marc5uuu): Independent designer Marc Su channels his passion for Air Max in material-driven design rooted in craftsmanship and experimentation. Su’s work reflects the tension between nostalgia and futurism, translating his cultural influences into designs that determine the futures of sneaker culture.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Jose Wong, Shanghai (@3thisisye): Shanghai-based artist and creative Jose Wong reimagines everyday life through a playful mix of fashion, art, and street culture. Blending East and West influences with avant-garde styling, the visual world Wong constructs blends inspirations from Shanghai’s nightlife, ever-evolving youth communities, and the city’s restless energy.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Masyn, Los Angeles (@masynmasyn): Embedded within LA’s creative ecosystem, Masyn has built a world where clothing, jewelry, and everyday wear become extensions of personal identity.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Hatsuki Motoi, Tokyo (@htk2626): Founder of Blue Room, Hatsuki Motoi brings a distinctly Japanese lens to contemporary street culture. Inspired by Tokyo’s sneaker scene and the people who shaped his creative journey, Motoi’s work transforms personal memory into a visual language that is intimate and universal.</h1>
<h1 class="full">OMI, New York City (@stfuyoutalk2much): Uptown-born and raised, artist OMI has become one of the most recognizable names emerging from New York’s streetwear underground, specializing in airbrush design.</h1>
<h1 class="full">Tasnim Chowdhury, London (@nottasnim): A Central Saint Martins fashion designer, Tasnim Chowdhury transforms personal memory, heritage, and textile craft into a visual language where storytelling and handmade detail exist in conversation with one another.</h1>
<h1 class="full">YAMS, Paris (@yams_9102): Founder of BANDOZI, YAMS channels the energy of Paris’s underground creative scene into a universe of cloud motifs, silhouettes, and experimental streetwear. YAMS’s work captures the rebellious spirit of a new generation reshaping the visual identity of Paris from the ground up./h1>