Nike Sporstwear, Nike’s high-end clothing line, has got London’s Cassette Playa and Dutch art guy Parra to do a rivals collection. Some of it is already out, and the remainder goes on sale at the end of the month. Cassette Playa’s varsity jackets, tees and technical apparel totally defeat Parra’s stuff. But he probably doesn’t mind that, because he’s come over all liberal and Dutch, and in a touchingly, old-fashioned way, has dedicated his stuff to the sports teams that lose (which is hardly the Nike philosophy). His heroes are “the people who keep stepping up to the mark each time even though they never win”. Scientists think depression evolved so that people weren’t destroyed by picking fights they can’t win with life’s top dogs. But Parra seems to be for the people who feel the fear and do it anyway, the people who accept that failure is a learning curve and actually get shit done. He must be a big fan of politicians, then.

Lil Wayne’s been wearing Cassette Playa’s TZ Dunks, but Parra’s Nike Air Max 1s (bottom) are better.

DARYOUSH HAJ-NAJAFI