Puma Launches ‘For All Time’ Platform Marking 75 Years
Puma on Thursday is launching the For All Time platform, celebrating its classic footwear offering and supporting the next generation of talent.
The footwear company is approaching its 75th anniversary and kick-starting the celebration next year by highlighting its classic footwear styles, including the Puma Suede, Clyde, Riders and Slip Streams, through dedicated content and events, but also by teaming a short list of their talent roster and partners with a next-gen creative of their choosing.
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Puma tapped Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports head Emory Jones to executive produce The Collective, which includes Puma creative director June Ambrose, Rhude designer and Bally creative director Rhuigi Villase?or, Harlem designer and haberdasher Dapper Dan, director Hype Williams, Upscale Vandal creative director Michael Camargo, photographer Lenny Santiago, and longtime Puma ambassador Walt “Clyde” Frazier. The Collective members will choose a creator to collaborate with and support, and will share their personal story and the creators’ stories over the next seven months.
Jones will kick off the program with his next-gen creator Shamya Johnson, the Cambridge, Maryland-based freelance photographer who has photographed for Sears and J.C. Penney’s Portrait Studios and for BET Black Girls Rock and BET Honors. Camargo selected Walter Harvin, better known as @soberyoungwalter on Instagram, who rose to fame with his extensive Vetements collection.
“For All Time is an indicator of what it means to be a classic,” said Adam Petrick, Puma’s global director of brand and marketing. “For us, it’s this question of classics being sneakers, iconic designs, pieces of apparel or classic individuals. We said there is this amazing group of people around us and wouldn’t it be cool to point the question to them of what it means to be a classic?”
Petrick mentioned Frazier and Dan as two classic individuals for being at the center of pop culture converging with basketball and hip-hop, respectively, as well as Villase?or for having “a big impact in a short period of time.”
Frazier hopes to pass along his philosophy that his only limitation is his imagination. “I want to tell young creatives, ‘Don’t ever be afraid to veer from the path and leave your own footprint,’” he said, and Dan said he hopes to show young creatives how to translate the culture of their generation through fashion.
“Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a gifted child become a multidimensional creative, that’s the Puma story,” he said.
“Puma has always been a great partner, so I’m happy to be a part of this brand’s legacy and this special moment Emory is spearheading,” Villase?or said.
Emory Jones started his journey with Puma 10 years ago, and he said most laughed at him when he did. “But I understood and still understand what it meant to get my first pair of Puma Suedes,” he said. “They made me feel rich at a time when I had nothing, and feeling rich made me go get it. So it’s been an honor being a part of the Puma family, not just the 10 years I’ve been working with them, but being a part of the family as a consumer my entire life as well. There is no sneaker culture without heritage, classic brands. Puma is an ultimate classic brand. I would love for the young creatives to dream big and always bet on yourself! If you don’t set goals for yourself, other people will always run your life.”
Director Nadia Hallgren profiled The Collective members in a series of short films. Jones will be featured first, followed by Camargo in May and Puma creative director Ambrose in June.
“Throughout my career it’s always been important to me to create access for the next generation of creatives,” Ambrose said. “There are so many talented individuals across all spectrums of culture and discipline, and I’m excited that with Puma we can continue to build meaningful relationships with more creators each year. Puma has been on my radar since I was a young girl growing up in the Bronx, so I’ve seen the impact they’ve had over the last five decades. I’m happy to be part of this platform sharing these stories that will last for all time.”
Petrick said this platform lends itself to expanding to new territories. He added that this narrative will grow next year during the official 75th anniversary and will include more historical takes on their styles and their athletes and ambassadors in basketball, tennis, soccer and track and field, like Frazier, and soccer stars Pelé and Diego Maradona.
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