Late last year, PUMA launched its African football-inspired V1.10 collection of athletic pieces, footwear, and soccer balls. A reflection of PUMA's decade-long commitment to soccer in Africa (it signed Cameroon and Egypt in 1999, Tunisia in 2002, Mozambique in 2004, Senegal and Togo in 2005, Angola and Ghana in 2006, and Morocco and Namibia in 2007), this performance-driven collection was accompanied by an advertising campaign featuring African soccer stars Samuel Eto'o, Emmanuel Eboué, John Mensah and Chinedu Obasi. Moreover, PUMA has joined forces with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in a strategic partnership aimed at raising awareness about habitat and species conversation.
As part of PUMA's exciting new projects surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup South Africa, the brand is unveiling its new collection of Lacelets, shoelaces featuring unique patterns in vivid hues. The Lacelets' patterns were designed by New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley, who is well-known for creating striking portraits of young black men based on snapshots taken in urban centers (such as Harlem's 125th Street) and then reinterpreted through the addition of dreamscape backdrops that endow each work with an epic feel. What makes the Lacelets so neat, from a style perspective, is that they can be worn in countless ways -- you can tie them around your wrist for a friendship bracelet-like accessory, weave them together to create a colorful belt, twist and shape them to resemble a rosette motif (as pictured above), and more.
The PUMA Lacelets will be available at PUMA stores later this spring, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the UN's biodiversity programs in Africa. Stay tuned for more details!
