Whispering Petal for Nike Air Max 1 '87

When we explore our products through the lens of creativity, we’re always drawn to the ways sneakers become tools for expression. For this campaign, we found an unexpected and beautiful intersection in Munene’s world of contemporary floral design.

As the founder of Whispering Petal, Munene reshapes nature into emotion, crafting art from leaves, petals, and the quiet wonder the earth gives us. Her work mirrors the spirit of the Nike Air Max 1 ’87: intentional, expressive, and rooted in the power of creation.

To celebrate this silhouette, we joined her in her garden of ideas, a space where the sneaker meet stems, and design becomes a living form.

Floral design is the art of arranging flowers and plant materials into beautifully composed artworks. Where a painter has their brush and paints - floral designers work in the realm of natural elements and 3D conceptualisation.

This space is particularly focused on employing a variety of technical elements in order to create harmony: colour, texture, shape and form. Behind some of the most awe-inspiring floral visual installations in Kenya, as love letters to the earth and our country’s landscape, Munene explains that, “I see contemporary floral design as an artistic medium. I focus specifically on pulling different textures, shapes and forms - and one of my unique approaches is uncovering naturalistic flowers and styling them in a more modern or abstract way. My process always starts with vessels; it is from the vessel and the relationship I want to build between it and the flowers, to create the forms that I want to create. I don’t see the two separately; the form of the vessel informs the design of the floral arrangement.”

To create is to move, literally, through one’s practice. For Lana’s role as a florist, she can think of no better support than the perennial support offered by the iconic, cushioning air unit of the Air Max. Lana notes her reverence for Nike from the perspective of floristry,

“when I first put the sneakers on, I was reminded how comfortable the Air Max is. As florists, we are usually all in Nike because of the support that it gives our feet; particularly the air in the sole, which provides a cushioning throughout the day that is

essential for us. I loved that we shot the ‘footwork of floristry’ in this campaign and I’d never thought about that - what is the dance that we do while we are creating an arrangement? I was so aware of the movements involved in my practice - and appreciative of the way the Air Max allows me to move effortlessly, approaching floristry from different angles.”

There is a shared symphony reflected between Lana’s consideration of shape, texture and material, as Nike’s is with the continued legacy of the Air Max 1 and its various iterations. It reminds us there is a shared connection and resonance across good design; no matter the medium or final outcome.

As a designer, MUNENE is guided by the natural cycles of growth and decay - and how these qualities make our ever-changing world, a site of constant celebration. Lana notes that

“one of my key principles is that I take into account the space in which the flowers will exist. We create florals for spaces - and around spaces - we don’t create them to exist on their own. So, there needs to be a constant dialogue between the space, the object and the florals.” What is it about flowers, particularly, that evoke Munene’s aesthetic sensibility? She says, “It is the enduring beauty of flowers. 

QUESTIONS ON JOURNEY OF FLOWERS AND SNEAKERS

How do you define floristry beyond flowers themselves?

Floristry, for me, goes far beyond arranging flowers. It’s about composition, movement, and emotion. Just like any other art form, it’s rooted in understanding balance — colour, texture, shape, and form. Flowers are my medium, but the work is really about how all these elements coexist to create something intentional and expressive.

Nature plays a central role in both your work and this collaboration. What does nature represent to you as a creative?

Nature is my biggest reference point. It’s raw, layered, imperfect — and that’s where its beauty lies. Kenyan landscapes, in particular, inspire me deeply. There’s so much texture and contrast here, and I try to translate that into my arrangements. Working with flowers is my way of staying connected to the earth and honouring it.

How does your love for sneakers - kicks - fit into your everyday creative practice?

Floristry is very physical. You’re on your feet for hours, moving around installations, lifting, adjusting, stepping back, stepping in. Sneakers are essential. I’ve always gravitated towards Nike because of the comfort and support — especially Air Max. The cushioning allows me to focus on creating without thinking about fatigue.

What stood out to you about the Air Max 1 Snakeskin for this project?

The Snakeskin immediately felt organic. The texture, the pattern — it reminded me of natural surfaces you’d find in nature, like bark or reptile skin. It didn’t feel forced. It felt considered. That connection to nature made it easy to integrate into my world of floristry.

Do you see parallels between floral design and sneaker design?

Absolutely. Good design is good design, regardless of the medium. Sneakers, especially something like the Air Max 1, involve careful consideration of shape, material, texture, and function — the same principles I apply to floristry. There’s a shared language there, even though the outcomes are different.