"I’m excited to leverage this collaboration as a catalyst to introduce an untold side of me and engage a new community," Salehe Bembury said of his new partnership with Puma.
Salehe Bembury has lent his design vision to several footwear brands, including Versace, New Balance and Crocs. Now, the designer-for-hire is working with Puma, specifically on its basketball product.
The German athletic powerhouse announced Monday that it has entered into a partnership with Bembury, the 2020 FNAA Designer of the Year. The brand said the move will allow Puma Hoops to “continue its game changing path within both performance and culture.”
Bembury is set to design Puma’s next signature silhouette and help recruit a top athlete.
“My designs are a platform for storytelling and cultivating community; an opportunity to breathe new meaning into a product. While my work has been known to cater to the outdoor space, a space I recently developed an intimate relationship with, my partnership with Puma Hoops will allow me to tell a more deeply rooted personal story,” Bembury said in a statement. “As a ’90s kid from New York City, I’ve played basketball my whole life and have a deep history, emotion and nostalgia for the sport. I’m excited to leverage this collaboration as a catalyst to introduce an untold side of me and engage a new community.”
The Puma Hoops roster already includes several pro and college stars, both in the WNBA and the NBA. The brand’s lineup includes Breanna Stewart and LaMelo Ball, who both have signature shoes, as well as women’s college basketball standout Flau’Jae Johnson.
“Today’s game is as much about performance as it is about the culture. Within signature, that means being able to tell the athlete’s story both on and off the court,” Max Staiger, global head of basketball for Puma, said in a statement. “Salehe has had unrivaled success of bringing to life the intersection of sport, culture and fashion through product design and storytelling. That combination, mixed with Puma Hoops’ disruptive approach, results in a partnership that will bring game changing newness and excitement to basketball athletes, basketball consumers, and basketball culture, both on and off the court.”
Although Puma is Bembury’s newest partner, he has released several looks with others as of late. For instance, Bembury and Crocs delivered new colorways of the Saru mule in July, as well as the Juniper sneaker in May. (Bembury and Crocs earned the 2023 FNAA Collection of the Year award for their collaborative Pollex Clog.) And in June, Bembury revealed his newest collaboration with New Balance, a new take on its 530 silhouette.
Bembury addressed his ability to work with multiple brands at the same time this month when he teased his Puma meeting. Via Instagram Stories, Bembury said there is “much more” to come with New Balance and “sturdy contracts and sound communication” is why he’s able to work the way he does.
