Dance Like a Runner, the latest drop from whimsical running brand Alex Zono
Shorts, tights, cotton tees, and performance tops
July 30 at alexzono.com
Founded in Cape Town in 2024, Alex Zono approaches running apparel through the emotional side of the sport. Instead of seeing running as a collection of performance metrics, the label focuses on the rituals, memories, and small pleasures that surround movement. Running becomes part of daily life: a way to travel, spend time outdoors, and understand a place beyond pace or distance.
Alex Zono produces small, considered collections with an intentionally handmade quality. The technical foundations are there, but they are filtered through personal graphics, playful colors, and details that could have come straight from the designer’s sketchbook. The wearer is given room to style each piece rather than being placed inside a rigid head-to-toe system.
The latest release, “Dance Like a Runner,” officially titled DROP003, continues Alex Zono’s storytelling approach. The collection began in Chamonix, where designer Alex Zono watched runners climb towards the mountains before taking off with parachutes.
The scene brought back a childhood memory of running with a kite, moving fast enough to keep it in the air. The connection between those two moments became the foundation of the collection: running as play, freedom, and physical expression.
The collection includes two pairs of shorts: one in sky blue and another in bright red, finished with oversized AZ lettering across the front. There is also a new pair of brown unisex tights, technical tops with different graphics and sleeve lengths, and a set of cotton tees featuring the new AZ Joggers flag. The tees are designed to feel like hand-me-downs passed on by your parents.
Graphics carry much of the collection’s personality. A mountain-range motif appears throughout, accompanied by clouds, butterflies, and smaller illustrations associated with freedom and transformation. There is even a cow, described by the brand as “the real mountain dancer.”
The more lifestyle-focused pieces include a playful, retro-looking vest printed with the words “Jog Fest 25” and a blue shirt featuring a patched kite.
It wouldn’t be an Alex Zono collection without a new set of hats. The latest versions continue the handmade, slightly quirky character of previous releases.
The new collection will be available from July 30 through the Alex Zono website, with selected pieces arriving at participating retailers shortly afterward.
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Alfredo is a runner, writer, creative director, and cultural analyst based in Berlin. After years as a casual runner, his move to Berlin transformed his running into a vital practice for mental health and a source of tranquility during cold, early morning runs. His interest in clothes comes from uniforms and sportswear, combined with a love for innovation and research—which might explain why he meticulously charts his winter running gear.
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