Puma by KARL LAGERFELD

It seems Puma is determined not to be left behind in the ever more competitive race between sports and leisurewear companies to increase their market share with luxury fashion consumers.  Adidas has had an enduring and lucrative partnership with Stella McCartney for a number of years already (in fact, the hotly anticipated latest version of their all-vegan Stan Smith shoe drops in December).  In 2018 Puma decided it was time to get in on that action and signed a partnership deal with Maison KARL LAGERFELD that preceded the release of their first collection for men and women last autumn.  With the success of that collection they’re now back with a sequel for 2019 that bucks tradition by being even better than the first collection.

Puma is one of the most recognisable sportswear brands on the planet and that status has been built on long standing traditions.  Karl Lagerfeld was perhaps the world’s leading luxury fashion designer – Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous label makes it hard to argue with that assertion.

Combining those two quite disparate design approaches requires a lot of talent and no little reading of the market to make sure a collection of this type, and of this importance, is balanced in just the right way.  To accommodate these goals, the designs for the new collection were inspired by PUMA’s own archive pieces “reimagined with a modern, luxurious edge that is indicative of KARL LAGERFELD.”

What this means are bold statement pieces like t-shirts and jackets emblazoned with ‘KARL’ across the chest and the sleeves (because when you get to the Madonna class of icon, only the first name is needed).

The luxury track pants cleverly hide the great man’s full name along the side seams and is only revealed when the poppers along the seams are open.  Ultra long hooded sweat tops are  new silhouettes introduced for this collection – particularly when the long zip along the spine is opened to reveal the bright red sports lining.

Perhaps the gem to take most notice of among all the pieces is the re-interpretation of the Puma Roma shoe, featuring an all-black upper with contrasting white laces and a striking “KARL LAGERFELD” graphic in black on the rise of the sole that seems to ‘float’ along a corrugated sea of the waves.  Fortunately you won’t have to sail very far to get your hands on the collection as it drops in KARL LAGERFELD stores and other selected retailers from this weekend (Oct 12th).

For more information on Puma x KARL LAGERFELD click here.

Click here for our last feature on KARL LAGERFELD.