Introducing the PUMA R698 and the Blaze of Glory Black Friday Pack

To celebrate Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States (and a few other countries), PUMA revisits two iconic footwear silhouettes - the Trinomic R698 and the Blaze of Glory. Both shoe styles have been given an all-over black treatment with white colour-blocked midsoles for the ultimate shelf and street wear appeal.

The Trinomic R698 was born into a great tradition of revolutionary `90s PUMA performance footwear. Trinomic cushioning technology changed the scene with its honeycomb cells, which cushioned and supported athletes. The Trinomic R698 Black Friday has the same smooth cushioning but also features a rich, leather-embossed PUMA tongue logo for added luxury. The Trinomic R698 retails for R1899.  

The Blaze of Glory, which pays homage to New York City and its basketball culture, also features a Trinomic-packed sole. Techy mesh has been added to the distinctive athletic construction for the Black Friday version. The Blaze of Glory retails for R1899.

The Black Friday pack is available today and can be found at PUMA SELECT stores in Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

First Look: Ted Baker Autumn/Winter 2016 Collection

Wonders never cease in Ted Baker’s Autumn/Winter 2016 (AW 16) collection. A curation of curiosities and sights to behold, the season unearths a treasure trove of rare wonders and sartorial spectacle. A metamorphosis of artful prints and wondrous patterns gives a nod to watercolours and still life scenes on linings and fabrics.

For the Gentleman

Painterly florals and oversized leaves; jacquards on knits and chevrons on jersey explore scale and perspective, while paisley is exhibited across coats, polo collars, shirting and statement blazers.

For the ladies

Ted’s new womenswear prints cause a spectacle of romance and radiance. Gaze as layer upon layer of decadent blooms fall on the Twilight Floral print, while the Shadow Floral motif is beautiful and beguiling. The AW 16 colour palette includes rich burgundy, deep dark reds and earthy greens that evolve into burnt orange, flashes of pink and teal, and the lightest touch of pastels for the warmer months. Ted explores treasures from days gone by with 60s and 70s-inspired swing back coats and structured tunic dresses in touchably luxe fabrics. These pieces evolve into modern classics of salt and pepper culottes, boucle jackets and an eye-catching checked cape. The silhouettes of the season come in the form of a beautiful lace skirt, decadent ombre jacquard dress and a breath-taking ballerina skirt so beautiful time appears to stand still. Bringing the look into the here and now, Ted’s outerwear is a modern marvel with reworked leather bombers, biker jackets and parkas for gents. Luxurious quilted wool coats are given a showerproof finish, while the introduction of the Ombre Jacquard coat, with its subtle colour blocking effect, to add a little mystery.

Ted’s ‘Phormal’ range features a plethora of tonal printing, mini florals, velvet collars and exquisite compositions. Wool and silk-blend suits in staple grey, black and navy leave a timeless impression in modern and fashion fits, while a dash of charisma and eccentricity features in the Global range. The collection’s gold and black velvet jacket is a rare wonder…a mainstay piece in any permanent collection.

For AW 16 Ted takes us on a journey of discovery to unearth trinkets and treasures, curiosities and curations. The collection will hit Stuttafords in February 2016 (South Africa).

PUMA x Hanon Shop – The Final Drop of the Adventurer Pack Series

PUMA collaborated with Hanon Shop, the Scotland-based sneaker store, as the final chapter in the Adventurer Pack trilogy following drops with Sneakers ‘N’ Stuff and Solebox earlier this year.

The PUMA Adventurer Pack references a time in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, when resourceful European sneakerheads ventured to the United States to source rare, vintage or new footwear that was unavailable in their local markets. Selling these exclusive imports turned out to be a profound business model and in some cases laid the foundation for the opening of an actual store.

In the early ‘90s the two Toft brothers, founders of Hanon Shop, flew to California to visit relatives in Orange County, escaping a harsh winter in Aberdeen. That first trip is the inspiration for their PUMA X Hanon Adventurer Pack - the dark and cold of wintery Scotland clashing with the bright and sunny warmth of Southern California.

The XT2+ (R2999), inspired by Southern California, has a premium suede upper, subtle Hanon branding on the heel as well as a sock liner revealing the Toft brothers passions at the time – including music and travel.

The XS850 (R2999), inspired by Scotland, has smooth nubuck with bold suede overlays and a perforated vamp. There are subtle Hanon logos on the heel and the side and the classic Hanon print on the sock liner alongside matching laces.

The PUMA X Hanon Adventurer Pack can be found at PUMA SELECT stores in Cape Town, Bree Street and Johannesburg, Braamfontein.

Introducing the Maaji Greenscape Dawn Summer Collection

Maaji’s new secret garden-inspired collection is full of magical and surreal dreamscapes. The innovative silhouettes and combinations of prints and details are designed to be fashionable, yet functional. The swimwear, beachwear and studio collection includes pieces in bright colours and nude tones complimented by neons and neutrals, with a good dose of exotic floral and mystical animal prints.

For the swimwear collection, Maaji brings us high-waisted bottoms and high-cut legs alongside sports inspired silhouettes as well as structured body con swimsuits, underwire tops, strappy backs and lingerie-inspired elastics.

Maaji’s studio collection includes gorgeous athletic tops, tanks and sports bras, as well as yoga pants and shorts in colourful, eye-catching patterns. These multifunctional and fashion-forward pieces in the collection are designed to fit any active lifestyle and can be worn for swimming, surfing or running.

Prices range from:

• R1050 to R2750 for the swimwear pieces;
• R1050 to R2850 for the beachwear; and
• R1100 to R2300 for the studio collection.

The PUMA Creepers by Rihanna That Was Sold Out Are Being Reissued

Rihanna's best-selling PUMA creepers are hitting the stores again in three new colours. The sneakers were originally released in traditional black, but will now be available in a variety of colorways, including coral cloud pink/green/oatmeal, a tonal peacoat/cool blue combo, and an off white/gym version of the sneakers.

The Rihanna x PUMA Creepers are available at PUMA SELECT stores in Cape Town (Bree Street) and Johannesburg (Braamfontein).

The sneakers sold out when they were released last time, so don’t take too long to decide if you are going to scoop the season’s hottest IT sneaker!

#Flashback Friday: PUMA Shut Bassline Down With The #Represent698 Event

Last week Friday - 13 November 2015 - the Swag Craze Team, turned up with PUMA and Jameson at the #Represent698 event at Bassline in Newtown, Johannesburg!

The line up was amazing and included Nonku Phiri, P.H. Phat, Jack Parow, Riky Rick, Aero Manyelo and Das Kapital! PUMA’s #Represent698 crew held the night down with dope performances, which we can’t stop talking about! We also saw a few epic collaborations on stage, which was pretty rad! Nonku Phiri joined P.H. Phat for a few songs and Riky Rick joined Jack Parow on the stage for one song just before his set!

Rockie Fresh was the surprise performance and the crowd went bananas throughout his set! His music is dope and got he got us dancing especially with the song that features Chris Brown!

PUMA South Africa announced yesterday via their twitter that we will have another opportunity to relive those epic moments in virtual reality via ‘Step on Stage’! We can’t wait for that!

Celebrate with Skinny laMinx this festive season

The holiday season is a time to celebrate with parties, family gatherings, and end-of-year functions. Whether you’re hosting a warm and cosy get-together around the fire, or whiling away an afternoon under the trees near the swimming pool, Skinny laMinx invites you to celebrate in style with an array of party perfect décor pairings.

Celebrate Outdoors

Set up a holiday table on the lawn under the trees and pair a Woodpile table runner in spruce with Simple Stripe napkins in mint. Add a zesty pop with Bowls cushion covers in lemon slice and finish with soft buckets filled with luscious greenery. Or celebrate seaside on the beach cottage patio with shades of pacific or china blue and lighthouse flash of cheerful signal red.

Indoor Celebrations

When the weather brings the celebrations indoors, it’s an opportunity to enjoy the glow of candlelight with friends and family. Keep it elegantly monochromatic, while playing with prints that clash in the subtlest way. Pair a Block Circle table runner with Simple Stripe napkins in liquorice and pile freshly-baked bread rolls into Palmetto soft buckets in tarmac. Or defy the chilly weather by throwing the hottest, wildest New Year’s dinner - aka a Confetti Sushi party - ever! Mix and match brights irreverently, and usher in 2016 with celebratory glee.

And for Dessert...

Fill stockings with rolled up aprons or change purses and, for the person that has everything, a framed Giclèe print, or a Nuvango iPhone case in a signature Skinny laMinx print will do the trick. Add the finishing touch with beautiful gift tags in an array of designs and colours.

Make the Skinny laMinx Christmas catalogue your celebratory go-to guide this festive season! Click here to access the catalogue.

All products featured in the catalogue are available from the Skinny laMinx shop at 201 Bree St, Cape Town, and online at: shop.skinnylaminx.co.za.

adidas Originals x Palace - An Array of Wardrobe Essentials Perfect for This Season

adidas Originals collaborated with PALACE Skateboards for a brand new collaborative collection of apparel and accessories. True to PALACE’s penchant for street apparel essentials laced with all the hi-tech features, the collection comes loaded with innovative details and futuristic motifs. PALACE founder Lev Tanju explains “for us we really wanted to just make stuff that reminds us of what adidas do best and then put our own spin on things”. The collection is “quite lairy and bold and I’m super hyped on all the underarm stripe stuff” says Lev.

Featuring an array of wardrobe essentials, visually stunning marble and wavy print motifs make the offering truly unmatched. Incorporating nostalgic design cues, classic adidas Originals football and athletics pieces are reimagined with a color-block element inspired by the 1992 Olympics Team German uniforms.

Some standouts in the set include a neoprene zip hoody, reversible heavyweight down jacket, and a hooded bomber featuring the distinctive marble print. Blacked out headwear, jogger bottoms, gloves and luggage are additional elements, making the collaborative project a remarkably well-rounded offering.

See some of the dope pieces below from the adidas x Palace lookbook:

Chris Stamp on Embracing Modern Youth Culture and Collaborating with PUMA on a Dope Collection

PUMA collaborated with luxury street wear brand Stampd on a collection that is inspired by performance and designed with a cross function of performance and style. Below is a Q&A with Chris Stamp. Chris is an ‘Avant street influencer’ and he founded Stampd in 2009. Stampd embraces a modern youth culture, which, along with its timeless appeal, creates high quality streetwear product mixed with simple forms for the everyday consumer.

Stampd is a mix of street culture and fashion. Can you tell us more about your creative process and your fashion influences?

I guess you can say my creative process is rather unorthodox. I’m not one to just sit down think of an idea and act on it. Creativity for me is something that can hit at any moment, and some times at random. I constantly take notes and jot down ideas here and there, and usually fill in the blanks once I’m back to my studio. I find design cues coming from anything from modern architecture to classic Southern California surf culture.

Recently I’ve been really influenced by fine art, acquainting myself with sculpture artists. This changes from season to season, as there is always a range of mediums getting my mind going. Sometimes it’s just a good conversation with a friend or creative that will spark something. With information being shared so quickly and regularly now, it’s necessary for me to strip it all back and look at things more one dimensionally with as few distractions as possible.

We know that you are athletic and passionate about surfing, does this influence your design and creative process?

Being in the ocean and staying active is equally as important physically as it is for me mentally. I’m able to conceive a moment of clarity and think in a way that I usually don’t when I’m in my office or dealing with the day to day of my company. Some of my best work has come from ideas envisioned while in the water. Growing up in Southern California and being around the ocean is second nature when you’re young. Through high school, I was surfing on a daily basis and the lifestyle became engrained in both my personal aesthetic and design taste.

How would you define your brand?

Stampd is a lifestyle brand synergizing contemporary luxury with modern ‘high’ street culture.

How is it different from the others?

Taste.

What is the main difference between your collaboration and your regular collection?

I wanted this collection to be the athletic version of what we offer inline. This is what I want our guy to wear, whether it’s to the gym or after a surf. We focused on tech fabrics and detailing, along with simplifying some of the classic PUMA footwear models introducing the idea of Stampd Athletics by PUMA.

How has streetwear changed over the last couple of years?

There has been a shift in the styling of classic streetwear, where customers are pairing things like snap backs and sneakers with luxury denim and outerwear. It’s an evolution of the two segments becoming similar in turn opening the ‘High Street’ market. We’re now at a time where the streetwear markets boundaries are constantly being pushed to keep up with how the new demographic of kids want to dress.

What do you think the future holds for street culture and footwear in particular?


I think street culture is still on the rise. Remembering back to my earlier days in college, when I was just getting into fashion, online publications like Hypebeast were just getting started and the addition of a blog to a website was still fairly new. Now we’re in a day where more than half of my customers are purchasing straight from their phones. The evolution has been inspiring and it makes me want to push my company in a direction where technology is an emphasis. Essentially this was birthed from the idea of coveted sneakers. When people really started caring about their whole outfit, their footwear was the starting point. Outfits were based on sneakers first.

Tell us more about your relationship with PUMA?
What’s your connection with PUMA?


PUMA gave us the opportunity to create an athletic collection based on our DNA. We took the chance to combine our various patterns and cuts with more technical fabrics and athletic inspired detailing. This initial collection was a chance for us to show our customer how we would want to wear things at the gym or more on an athletic atmosphere.

What was your relationship with PUMA before the collaboration?

PUMA’s were my first pair of shoes I wore playing soccer when I was 8. From that point on I always had a pair in my closet, with Clydes usually being my go to. After a trip to Paris with Ronnie Fieg for his COA collaboration with PUMA, I was more inspired by the direction that PUMA was taking in regards to their Select and lifestyle programs. What Ronnie did with the Disc, and that project as a whole, opened a new avenue for designers like myself to think outside of the box when it comes to collaborating with PUMA. I’ve always looked at PUMA as a classic athletic brand that has been a leader in footwear and athletic apparel since I was a kid.

How does your vision come into play with PUMA? How is it in- novative?


We took our predominantly monochromatic color palette and incorporated some of the PUMA technology in both footwear and apparel construction. We used more modern patterns, combined with PUMAS ability to execute highly through technical fabrics and trim details.

How does sport influence contemporary sneakers and fashion?

I think a lot of contemporary sneakers have been based on the idea of classic sportswear sneakers. Inspirations have been drawn from both vintage silhouetting and pattern makeups to the upper construction and detailing. Classic running or basketball shoes have become household staples within the fashion world, completely outside that of the sport. People now see these shoes as more fashion over function.

What is your definition of style?

Style is the ability to feel comfortable and confident effortlessly.

What advice would you give to the next generation of designers?

Work hard, enjoy the journey, and trust your instincts.

This PUMA collaboration is one of high drive, infused with Stamp’s vision and creativity and PUMA’s technical expertise. It is available at PUMA SELECT stores in Cape Town, Bree Street and Johannesburg, Braamfontein, as well as X–Trend and Lyme.