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.

First Look: PUMA R698 Kosma Pack

To highlight the true potential of the R698 design, the latest Trinomic pack fully emphanises the shoe’s iconic silhouette by blocking every panel in different material executions.

The R698 was born into a great tradition of revolutionary ‘90s PUMA performance footwear. Trinomic technology changed the scene with its use of a hexagonal system in the sole that compressed and rebounded load whilst the Trinomic honeycomb cells cushioned and supported athletes. Thanks to its distinctive design, the iconic shoe is now more often seen on the streets than on running tracks.

Each panel of the R698 in the Kosma Pack is constructed from a different material, from mesh to soft leather all topped off with a crackled premium nubuck. The new collection is being released in three bold colours representing the mood and golden hues of Fall – lead by the Inca Gold colourway followed by the High Risk Red and Black styles.

The Kosma Pack (R1499) can be found at SELECT stores in Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg from today (13 November  2015).

Presidential Store Launch in Nelson Mandela Square

A new Presidential Store is launching today (12 November 2015) in Nelson Mandela Square (Sandton City), Johannesburg. The launch includes a lunchtime performance by Vusi Mahlasela with celebrations, appearances by personalities, and competitions throughout the day.

Presidential Shirt was founded in 1994 when designer, Desré Buirski, gave former President Nelson Mandela a batik ‘Fish Shirt’ as a gift two days before his inauguration as President of South Africa. She went on to make over 150 shirts for Nelson Mandela, the style of which is universally known as the ‘Madiba Shirt’.

Presidential Shirt appeared for the first time this year on the runway at SA Menswear Week (SAMW) with a range that stretched from traditional hand painted silk, to Shweshwe to modern digital print. Many of these runway pieces will be available to buy for the first time at the new store.   “Nelson Mandela Square was the only choice for Presidential for our first local store launch. Given the heritage of the brand and the centre’s upmarket clientele the partnership is perfect” says Robert Sim, CEO Presidential Group. “This will make the brand’s flagship Presidential Shirt more widely available to the local South African market rather than the international traveler, the only Presidential Store currently being in the International Duty Free area of OR Tambo”  

2015 SAMW SS16, Image Credit: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

2015 SAMW SS16, Image Credit: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

“I am extremely proud that Presidential Shirt is finally coming to Johannesburg, it’s our heartland and the store will be a tribute to our South African roots” says Desré Buirski, Founding Designer.

Go pop by the store today if you are in the area!

Missibaba launches the Iconic Missibaba Clutch Collection

In true celebratory style, illustrious accessories brand Missibaba collaborated with The House of Krone on a sultry campaign for the Iconic Missibaba Clutch Collection. The collection is the last of a series of releases to celebrate the brand’s 10^th birthday. 

Passionate about artisanal craftsmanship and vivacious glamour, the duo unveiled the campaign on Wednesday 4 November to press and VIP customers at the Bree Street store in Cape Town. “The originality of Missibaba allows for sensational reinvention and we wanted to celebrate with them.  It’s always exciting to revisit an icon and we think it’s important to support local creatives,” explained Abigail Rands of The House of Krone.

Sipping on Krone Vintage Rose MCC, guests admired the collection of iconic clutch styles and basked in a sea of metallics, bright juicy colours, luxurious tassels, floor scrapping fringe and buttery soft suede. From the cheeky Banana Bumbag to the majestic Cleopatra Fan Clutch, the collection comes in perfect time for the glittering party season.  See the Iconic Missibaba Clutch Collection below:

Introducing the Disc Blaze Venus by PUMA x Atmos

PUMA revealed its second collaboration with renowned Japanese sneaker boutique Atmos. The Trinomic running classic DISC Blaze gets a celestial splash over with an iteration inspired by Venus, the brightest natural object in the sky after the moon.

The PUMA DISC Blaze Venus remains true to the original silhouette of 90’s icon with its upper decked out in astrological theme. The DISC system dial, in blazing orange, represents the morning star enclosed by dark blue suede upper and a speckled plastic cage that represents the Milky Way. A crescent moon is embossed on the heel along with the PUMA cat logo.

The PUMA DISC Blaze Venus retails for R2 899 and will be available exclusively through PUMA SELECT stores in Bree Street, Cape Town and Braamfontein, Johannesburg from today (10 November 2015).