FENTY x PUMA is Officially Back: Worn by Legends, Reborn by Rihanna.
Together with sports brand PUMA, global icon Rihanna officially debuted their newest product line. As the Creative Director of FENTY x PUMA, Rihanna rejoins the company. A number of product launches are planned as part of the multi-year agreement. The reintroduction of FENTY x PUMA combines the company's rich sporting tradition with Rihanna's legendary status as a pioneer in music, culture, and fashion. The FENTY x PUMA Avanti, the first line of footwear from the collaboration, is an unorthodox fusion of two PUMA legends, combining the King football boot's premium leather style with the Easy Rider running shoe's iconic outsole.
Over the course of their association, Rihanna and PUMA have introduced a number of innovative design twists on sportswear, beginning in 2015 with the legendary Creeper. Between 2015 and 2018, Rihanna and PUMA released a number of footwear and clothing lines, including the FENTY x PUMA fur slide and trainer. FENTY x PUMA's four fashion shows, held in both New York and Paris, played a key role in PUMA's brand impact and ongoing relevance over the previous ten years.
The inspiration for this footwear brand came from Rihanna's passion for football and the sport's significant effects off the pitch. The modernization of this iconic look by Rihanna opens the door for future PUMA athletic fashion partnerships.
Additionally, it was crucial to Rihanna and PUMA that this launch be accessible to the whole family, producing a line that may be just as stylish on children as it is on their parents. The legendary Avanti shoe, which Rihanna recently remixed, is also available as a unisex shoe for both adults and kids.
Athletes like Eusebio, Pelé, and Maradona used the original PUMA King football footwear when it first debuted in 1968. PUMA Miele launched a brand-new line of running shoes in 1978 that would later become the PUMA Easy Rider. The Jil Sander King, the result of the first-ever fashion cooperation between Jil Sander and PUMA, was introduced in 1998. This shoe was used as the model for the Avanti, which was created by PUMA in 2001. In 2023, Rihanna will update this traditional PUMA model with her own design language and innovative touches, from the leather's finer points to the outsole's gum.
"I wanted to bring something iconic from the archives to the street, and the late great Pelé made the Avanti shoe so iconic," said Rihanna.
"It's been such an exciting start to our partnership," said Maria Valdes, Chief Product Officer at PUMA. "We spent time together opening up the PUMA archive and identifying the right product that spoke to Rihanna. The Avanti is a PUMA classic with a unique and iconic point of view on terrace. I'm very happy to see this project come to life and even more excited for what the coming years have in store for us together."
With buttery smooth vintage leather, a fold-over tongue, and a debossed and printed gold-foil FENTY and PUMA CAT logo, the FENTY x PUMA Avanti is a chic twist on the football craze. The elements of the Avanti pay homage to PUMA's rich football tradition and history with a gum outsole and leather footbed. A chrome execution with laser-etched logos and leather chrome embellishments complements the black and white variant.
The singer, A$AP Nast, Pure, Felix Mallard, and two young children were among the stars of the first FENTY x PUMA campaign, which Rihanna served as creative director for. The stitching on a football and the pentagon form served as inspiration for the ad's set design.
