Nike Inc. rebooted its Nike ACG – or All Conditions Gear sub-brand – as NikeLab ACG last week with an urban aesthetic it hopes will catch on in global fashion capitals.

The launch marked a big departure for the sub-brand, which has struggled to get a foothold in the specialty outdoor and snow sports markets. It also comes as Outdoor Industry Association beseeches outdoor  brands to do a better job of designing for and marketing to urban dwelling millennials.

The collection became available Dec. 18 at nike.com/nikelab in North America, Western Europe and Japan and will also be available at NikeLab retail locations in New York City, London, Paris, Milan, and Tokyo.

The line was designed with input from  Berlin-based designer Errolson Hugh, co-founder of Acronym, an independent design agency focused on the unification of style and technology in apparel. The result is an apparel line was developed for an “all conditions fit,” which is to say a cut that can accommodate the user whether they are standing, riding a bike or crouched in an athletic pose with ankles, knees and elbows bent.

In addition to a lot of black performance fabrics, the collection features reflective logos and “stealth” pockets large enough to securely and discretely carry all the mobile gear carried by today's urbanite. The NikeLab ACG 2-in-1 Men's jacket,  seen to the right, features a waterproof Gore-Tex shell with a  deployable hood and a removable liner. Stacked chest pockets are connected via media ports, allowing the wearer to run his headphones underneath the lining of the jacket. With room for a wallet, phone or small notebook, these pockets keep valuables close to the body for security. Other apparel pieces include  a Tech Fleece pant and funnel sweatshirt and a T-shirt made from a blend of wool and Nike's Dri-Fit polyester. NikeLab ACG footwear includes a Flyknit Trainer Chukka SFB and an insulated version of the LunarTerra Akrtos high-top sneaker boot. Finally, the NikeLab ACG line includes backpacks.

“While we needed to make something that doesn't restrict your movement at all, we also didn’t want that to have any negative impact visually,” said Hugh, a martial art practitioner. “It shouldn't look strange. It has to be presentable, civilized, stylish. But form is never divorced from function. It’s easy to make something look really good. It's very hard to make it look good and move well.”

Judging from Nike's online announcements, which features black-and-white shots of models crouched on rooftops that are vaguely reminiscent of Spiderman, the line will be marketed with lots of urban imagery. 

The launch marks the latest twist for Nike ACG, which Nike launched in 1989 in a bid to enter the outdoor and snow sports apparel and footwear channel. In 2008, Dick's Sporting Goods licensed the ACG trademark to launch its own private label activewear collection. That same year Nike announced it was developing an ACG collection for U.S. athletes to wear on the medals stand at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Neither Dick's SG nor Nike responded to calls last week seeking to confirm when Dick's SG relinquished its Nike ACG license.