ACG moves forward, towards its past

We’ve been hearing whispers of it around during the winter and spring, and now with the anncouncement of the original ACG being brought back, it seems that Errolson Hugh, who for many resurrected Nike’s discontinued ACG line, might not continue working on the line. We know that his SS18 collection will have one more drop soon, but will that be it? Rumors foretold that many fans of the original ACG pieces, which one could most readily describe as a hiking/outdoors/utility line, missed the original aesthetic of the collection.

Its earliest elements were formed already back in the early 80’s but wasn’t formally announced by Nike until 1989. ACG, meaning All Conditions Gear, had performance was very much at the heart of its range, but the aesthetic was more directed towards outdoor activities. Quite innovative in its use of small elements of bright, vibrant colors, breaking up the standard beige/black/green colors the signified the usual outdoor gear color spectrum. It found a bit of a cult following as it worked equally well, in both function and fashion, on the floors of a natural forest, as on the streets of a concrete jungle.

Eventually, the original line was discontinued, as demographics shifted to focus more on indoor sports and street clothing, plus it had always catered to a slightly older audience who were more engaged in hiking and utility activities. Now however with the current trend of dadcore, and a more mature, normalized look, and less flashy fashion expression, there's been a large demand to see the old styles return. Its also a bit of an interesting double hit for Nike, as fans of the original ACG have now reached an age where their children might be following the backward-looking trend, and can join in by sporting the old silhouettes, they knew and loved.

For many tech gear fans, however, Hugh would be sorely missed. Having seen his own Acronym label, a pinnacle of the techwear world for many, gain such immense popularity over the last few years, that getting your hands on a piece has become almost an impossibility, both in terms of their limited supply and ever growing price tags. ACG was a way to get a Hugh designed piece without breaking your back or wallet to do so. Since taking on the line in 2014, his designs have been widely praised, and are some of the best pieces of clothing ever to come out of the Nikelab. With his great popularity, including all of his sneaker designs for Nike, and the interesting fact that NikeLab ACG’s senior director of influencer marketing and product collaborations, Johanna Schneider, was a co-founder of Acronym, would make a departure for Hugh seem very strange. We certainly hope that the rumors aren't true, and keep posted for updates!

The new/old ACG collection sees the return of the vibrant color elements, on the classically darker utilitarian color spectrum. With a June 1st release date, check out the preview pics below and let us know if you prefer Hugh’s ACG or happy the old has returned?