Alysa Liu’s arc as a professional figure skater has completely broken the mold at every juncture. For starters, the Bay Area-born athlete began skating at the age of 5, climbing the rungs as the youngest woman ever to land a triple Axel at 12, and then becoming the youngest skater to win the U.S. National Championship at age 13. Now 20 years old. Liu’s confident individuality has brought renewed energy and cultural cache to her sport. It’s a combination of her striped hair, piercings, and Gen Z-informed taste — which introduced Pinkpantheress to the Olympic rink. By far Liu’s greatest superpower has been her authenticity, standing out from the sport’s polished image not only in her unique performances but in her overall career.

Her 2022 season was definitive, marking the first time she would compete in the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but also her early retirement at the age of 16, citing the need to address her mental health. So, when Liu returned to the ice in 2025 ahead of Milan’s 2026 Winter Olympics, she was adamant about performing on her own terms. She secured her first Olympic gold medal in Milan, all under the guidance of her personal creative vision — from costumes to music choices and her energetic choreography.

Liu now fronts Nike’s new Studio Fleece campaign alongside a roster of other Nike athletes like Jazzy Davidson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Moses Itauma, and siblings Lauren James and Reece James. Each figure is pictured in a vignette of everyday life, including Liu, whose photos stand out with their colorful set design and surrealism-tinged concept. Situated in a pastel salon, Liu sports her blonde-brunette stripes, surrounded by a dozen other boys and girls all wearing her signature hairstyle and matching fleece.

Liu’s youthful presence and laid-back persona are a reminder of the importance she places on self-care and off-duty activities like spending time with friends or cracking open a novel (currently, Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted). Scroll through her feed, and you’ll see sunset hikes with friends, portraits of her cats, and an eclectic aesthetic: graphic tees with baggy sweats, skirts over denim, and rings stacked on her fingers. In an exclusive interview ahead of the launch, she shared, “My style is very personal to me.” Liu explained that in her hometown, Oakland, CA, “You’re supposed to have your own way of dressing, and you’re allowed to express yourself.” 

In her day-to-day wardrobe, Liu explained, “I do choose comfort, but it’s always stylish.” For her, comfort is closely tied to mobility: “I have to be able to move around in what I wear.” It makes her go-to airport fit, “The Studio Fleece,” a fitting answer. Lead apparel designer Claire Durfee shared that Nike closely considered every element of the product, “refining proportions, materials and finishes to create a fleece system that feels more considered, more versatile.” While you may recognize Liu for her dazzling performance attire, the athlete ultimately swears by oversized hoodies and baggy sweatpants both at home, at the dance studio, and even practicing on ice. And when it comes to off-duty footwear, she’s confident in being “a sneaker person.”

In a Q&A with Hypebeast, Alysa Liu talks us through her routines before and after hitting the ice, as well as how the Studio Fleece fits into her movement-centered, comfort-oriented style.

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Hypebeast: What does a successful recovery day look like for you? Do you have any essentials for winding down after a big performance?

Alysa Liu: It looks like unpacking — completely, showering, and just reading a book or going outside. A lot of water. Just drinking a lot of water. After a competition, I wanna get out of my dress, take all my makeup off, and get into something comfy. 

Are you reading anything currently?

Yeah! I’m reading Girl, Interrupted right now.

A classic! Do you have any personal rituals you need to do before a big performance?

I have this whole routine before a competition… It’s very specific. I eat at certain times because I want to digest well before I compete, and I need to sleep X amount of hours. I want to be able to chill for a couple hours before I compete, so I can have my hair and makeup ready. And then I gotta have the whole hour before the performance so that I can warm up and get my body moving.

You’ve been pretty much on the move nonstop this whole year, so I’m curious about what your go-to outfit is when you hit the airport?

The Nike Studio Fleece… I love wearing sweats. It’s just super comfortable, and so chill. And it keeps me warm! One thing about me is that at airports my ankles can’t be showing. I need something warm up top as well. So that’s why it’s just so perfect.

Would you say you’re a sneaker or a slide person at the airport?

Ooh. I’m a sneaker person. I usually don’t like to have my socks out, so I’m typically fully covered.

Has your hometown, Oakland, influenced the way that you dress?

In my head, my style is very personal to me — but in the Bay it’s encouraged to be that way. You’re supposed to have your own way of dressing, and you’re allowed to express yourself. So that’s how I felt growing up in the Bay. I could express myself, and I could experiment a lot because so many people have different styles there. Even when I look at me and my siblings, we all dress so differently. But I’ve literally experimented with every style.

Layering is essential in the Bay Area weather, so what are some of your layering essentials?

I love stacking a ton top-wise: tank tops under T-shirts, and then you can just put a hoodie on it and have the T-shirt stick out. I love that. Or even the sweatpants from the Studio Fleece collection, for example; you could have a little bit of your undergarment showing, or add something else just so that there are different patterns and colors stacked on top of each other. I really like that.

Are you more of a black sweats person or a grey sweats person? 

Honestly, I’m both. I really couldn’t choose. I’m thinking right now: black sweatpants versus grey sweatpants. I’m thinking it’s both!

That totally makes sense with your signature hairstyle. You’ve mentioned preferring baggy pants, but I’m curious about your hoodie preference. Do you prefer an oversized hoodie or cropped?

I love an oversized hoodie. Always. Something you get to hide and get cozy in. And then if you’re cold and you’re sitting down, you could just throw it over your legs too. So it’s so perfect.

Overall, do you find yourself gravitating more towards comfort or style?

I think they’re both equally important because as an athlete, I love to move and I have to be able to move around in what I wear. But I’m willing to restrict myself sometimes. On the day-to-day, I do choose comfort, but it’s always stylish — it’s gotta be.

Where do you think we’d most likely be able to see you sporting a Studio Fleece?

Oh my gosh. You’d be seeing me wearing it at home, at the dance studio. I do a lot of dancing and choreography, and I have to be wearing something that I can move in. Mobility is number one for when I’m doing choreography. And I have to stay warm. And when I’m on the ice, you know, it’s cold. So you’ll catch me wearing it on the ice as well.