The sneaker obsession continues. I haven't picked up a pair of PUMA Trinomics yet. The signature style has been on my radar for ages but I haven't found a colour that won me over entirely. Until now. I love simple styling and understated chic and these tick both those boxes.
PUMA has released their latest addition to their Trinomic R698 sneaker range – the delectable R698 Soft Pack features the richness of a plush suede upper with subtle perforations for a lightweight finish in a choice of grey, pastel pink, black or teal. So cute! The pink has my name written all over them.
The R698 Soft Pack retails for R1 599 and drops through PUMA SELECT stores in Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg, as well as Shelflife - and they're available now. See you there next First Thursday for a tipple and some shoe shopping?
Suit up Jozi girls, PUMASelect has finally landed in your town. Following the success of the Cape Town branch, they're opening up a store in on the corner of Melle and Juta streets, Braamfontein, as in today!
This is where us CT girls have been picking up our fab sneakers for months now. Hot collaborations with Alexander McQueen and House of Hackney are just some of the collections you'll find in store.
Here are some of my favourites:
From the BWGH range. Street style gold!
From the Trinomic range.
This pair from the Trinomic range is now on my wish list. In love.
Sneakers are everywhere for the coming season. From high-tops, to bright coloured trainers, to neutral colour Chuck Taylor styles - you need a pair or 3 for the coming Winter. So far I've invested in a pair of black high-tops, and not just any old pair, but the much-coveted Alexander McQueen Street Climb from the brand spanking new PUMA Select store. I am completely and utterly in love.
But one pair isn't going to cut it and I definitely want to inject some colour and fun into my winter wardrobe, and comfy and chick sneakers are the perfect was to do it. So here are some of my favorite of kicks:
1) New Balance trainers, R799 at Zando
2) Nike wedge sneakers, R1100 at Zando
3) Corina high-top sneaker, R849 at Country Road
4) Alexander McQueen for PUMA, R3000 at PUMA Select
5) Nike pink suede sneakers, R650 at Brands Online
6) Grey Melange sneakers, R199 at Woolworths (hello bargain!)
Every day I spent a large amount of time pouring over style blogs and getting myself worked up over some serious wardrobe envy. So when I was sent these images, video and interview from Puma, I was grinning from ear to ear. Its such an honour to feature this superstar of style on my little blog today.
Sought out from the streets of
Paris, Los Angeles and New York City, PUMA’s global group of Collection
Directors have been assigned to enhance PUMA’s seasonal key products with their
creativity, vision and passion under the ‘Next Starts Now’ platform.The first of the Collection Directors to be
introduced this month is Illustrator, Designer and self-proclaimed ‘Bun’ Queen,
Sophia Chang. NYC-born and bred, Chang’s enthusiasm for killer product designs and
POP culture was infectious for her first collaboration with PUMA.Tasked to visually reinvigorate the season’s
Women’s Lifestyle Footwear collection, Chang and her dream team of talents, used
the city streets of LA and New York as her backdrop for a photo-shoot that was
remarkably colourful, spontaneous and empowering just as the collection itself.
Read the interview below and be inspired!
What is the best part of being an illustrator and
why?
SC:You’re living your dream as
a kid! Well, I am at least. Fortunately, I work for myself so I set my own
deadlines and act as my own boss.
Finish
this line – I get my best ideas when:
SC:…I’m hanging out with
friends and chatting.So I tend to
interrupt 90% of the conversations I’m in.
Your illustrations have a signature style – how did
you develop this aesthetic?
SC:I didn’t have a “style”
throughout college. That was a real struggle for me.I think the style just came thru time. The
more I worked, the more exposure I had with different tools…it eventually just
evolved.
You say
you love and are inspired by hip-hop…Who are your top 3 hip-hop artists/acts of
all time and list your top 5 tracks?
SC:I’m inspired by a lot of hip-hop and R&B
overall. The list changes over time. It’s very difficult for me to pick a top
3. I guess maybe SWV, Jay-Z and 2 Chainz for now.
Do you remember your first pair of PUMAs?Do you have a favorite PUMA style & why?
SC:Yes! My first pair was when I worked at PUMA Retail
in college. It was a pair of black and white PUMA Clydes. I’d say that would
still be my favorite pair, it’s an all-time classic!
This is the first season you have partnered with
PUMA on a project, what was it like to work with the campaign from start to
finish? Which part of the PUMA collaboration do you find to be the most interesting?
SC:Working with PUMA on this campaign has been a great
experience!I was able to wear different
hats as a design consultant, producer, stylist, and illustrator.I was also able to reach within my own network
of creatives and form a dream team for the vision – photographer, Ja Tecson,
Fruition LV’s team and NaiVasha Thomas.Team work makes dream work!I love multi-tasking and wearing different
hats…or should I now say sneakers?
What does “Next Starts Now” mean to you?
SC:It’s an optimistic message.It means so many things to me…. It’s an
encouraging message - the future is bright so don’t delay and take hold of your
goals!
What does the PUMA brand represent to you?
SC:PUMA represents a classic brand that is a staple in
footwear culture.
Are you a
self-proclaimed “Bun Queen” or did that title come with time, and finally, how
high does your bun really go?
SC:Good question (laughing)!I have a lot of hair and it’s super thick…basically
like a lions mane.When NY summers got
really hot and humid, the hair went up in a bun.I’ve done this my whole life but the summer
of 2011, it started to become my nickname.I would meet up with friends and they would say “I spotted your bun 3
blocks away!”
As I was out and about
that summer I started to take photos on Instagram of my hair with people,
places, textures, patterns, landmarks and so forth.It became this weird sensation and I just
went with it!
What’s
NEXT in store for Sophia?
SC:So many things!
I work on a lot of different creative platforms – magazines, branding,
design, apparel, graphics, web/mobile and more.
I have a few upcoming projects with PUMA I am very excited about and the
next few months will be very interesting.
Can’t give away too much detail, so you’ll just have to stay tuned!
