Have you seen the advertisements that feature Rihanna wearing the sportswear brand Puma? They were all over the place a few years ago and make you wonder if the superstar bought the fashion sports brand.
Rihanna does not own Puma, but was given the title of Creative Director of Puma in 2014. She oversaw the women’s line and released her own design of trainers. The trainers sold out after only three hours of being available online. Since then, she released multiple trainers and apparel items in collaboration with the brand. The partnership ended in 2018.
Scroll down to learn more about Rihanna’s time working with Puma, the different styles she released, and when she ended the partnership.
Rihanna Lands a Partnership with Puma
As mentioned above, Rihanna landed a partnership with Puma at the end of 2014. She was named a Brand Ambassador and Creative Director for the fashion sportswear brand. The brand had been struggling and hoped that a collaboration with the Only Girl (in the World) singer would bring the company back into fashion. It was a smart move to be certain.
At this point in time, Rihanna was known to be a fashion icon with her ever changing hair and outfits. WIth a massive fan following and an interest in doing more in the fashion world, it seemed like the perfect move for the brand and Riri. Spoiler alert: they made the right decision in hitting up the Unapologetic vocalist.
Different Fashion Releases with Puma
In 2015, Rihanna released her very first product in collaboration with Puma. It was a pair of trainers called the Puma Suede creeper. The shoe was a style that the singer had been spotted wearing from different brands before she struck her deal with Puma. The creeper design was originally created by fashion designer and stylist, Billy Walsh.
In a 2016 article, Vanity Fair highlights that “Walsh has been involved in the design process for Rihanna’s Puma creepers since the beginning, having created the sneaker hybrid first for himself, then for Mr. Completely’s launch two years ago, and then for the pop princess herself.”
The same article further highlights that Rihanna had been wearing the Mr. Completely Adidas limited edition version of the creepers just months before her deal with Puma. Within one month of her partnership being announced, she had struck a deal with Walsh to bring the Creeper to Puma.
When her limited edition Puma Suede creepers were released, they sold out within three hours of the pre-launch. By May of 2016, Rihanna was on the third release of the shoe, which sold out again on its second release. It was clear that the company made the right choice in bringing Rihanna on board because in the last quarter of 2015 they reported a 17% increase in year over year sales.
Rihanna’s products with Puma only developed from there, eventually incorporating her own fashion label into Puma’s with the Fenty x Puma by Rihanna fashion line. The fashion line boasted stylish sweats, sweaters, and creepers.
You can watch bits of the Fall 2017/18 Paris Fashion Show by following the below YouTube link.
Rihanna Ends Partnership
It was at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion conference on October 13, 2017 that Riri confirmed her partnership with Puma would be ending. This article from the website Snobette stated she “confirmed the spring 2018 Fenty by Puma collection she showed in New York marked her final collaborative collection with Puma.”
Thus the love affair between Rihanna and Puma ended, but it was only the beginning of Rihanna’s ventures into fashion branding. Her company, Fenty, now has a fashion boutique in Paris, it’s own lingerie line, and a huge collection of makeup and perfume products manufactured by LVMH.