DEEP DIVE: COVL X NIKE BY YOU

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of working with Nike to create six original illustrations for the Nike By You station at their House of Innovation in New York city.

I'd like to kick off addressing the question I get asked often which is how do I secure these projects. I want to say that this project came to me the way many of the best ones do, through someone I had previously connected with which reminds me of:

Lesson #247: Your network will speak your name in rooms you’re not in but only if you’ve been showing up as yourself. 

That quiet consistency? I like to believe it’s what got me here.

THE PROCESS

I’m not even gonna lie, the timeline was quick:

June 16: Creative onboarding

June 18: sketches due

This day I hopped on a call with the agency to debrief them on what each illustration meant and why

June 23: second round

June 30: finals due

July 7: live in-store

The brief? Capture the energy of women in fútbol and the unapologetic rhythm of New York City.

Additional design guidelines was to ensure I was to use the following color story as hero and accents, only if primary colors

were complimentary.

Originally, I submitted 12 rough sketches for the team to narrow down to the main 10 which later on got boiled down to final six illustrations. You'll notice that during the rough sketch phase, I left out any coloring because to stay as true to the timeline as I could, I had to prioritize turning something in versus to nothing.

Coloring for me, in a project like this, could take me up to four hours per design so when considering the timeline I was on, coloring was put on pause until we explored selects and updated

designs as you see in round two (updated selected drafts.)

THE FINAL DESIGNS

The designs I created were are in admiration for the women pushing the sport forward and the city that raised me creatively.

I wanted them to feel powerful, vibrant, and alive.

My signature color sensibility made it in, but I also pushed myself to experiment with composition and rhythm because fútbol isn’t static. Neither is New York. Neither are we.

Seeing my work displayed in the space is a different kind of rush. Nike By You is all about co-creation. So when someone picks one of my illustrations and customizes their own tee, jersey, or hoodie with it? That’s art continuing. That’s ownership shifting.

That’s a collaboration, even if we never meet.

WHAT THIS HAS TAUGHT ME

This being my fourth time working with the brand, I’ve realized something: It’s not just the work that gets you invited back, it’s your energy. It’s the version of yourself you bring to meetings, to emails, to instagram, to real life. The art matters, but so does the person behind it.

This project reminded me that I can trust my eye, even under pressure. That speed doesn’t always mean compromise. And that the next opportunity is often built quietly, off a foundation you laid down months, even years ago.

If you're a creative reading this, waiting to be "ready" before you go all in — here’s your sign: ready is a myth. Show up anyway.

📸 all photos taken by Laura Peguero