Sports and Footwear label Puma and Fashion Designer LaQuan Smith officially released their first collaborative collection last week, and it’s a stunner.
First teased on the runway at New York Fashion Week in 2021, the Puma x LaQuan Smith collection blurs the lines between fashion and sport by offering athleisure styles, including apparel and footwear, with luxury details.
In particular, the collection reinvents Puma’s most popular footwear silhouettes, such as the Kosmo Rider and the RS-X. Smith’s designer take on the Kosmo Rider silhouette includes the addition of metallic-silver details and a patterned upper that brings a unique look to catch the eye.
Likewise, the luxurious take on the RS-X features a metallic lace lock and Formstrip that pop against a sleek and chic all-black upper. Completing the collection is apparel including elevated essentials like tees and leggings, as well as a new take on corset tops and body suits characterized by metallic detailing, sharp lines, and mixed materials.
Smith’s rise in the fashion world is a true self-made story. As a child, he observed his grandmother and a lot other women role models. His family sent him to art school in high school, which was a transformative experience, and he knew what he wanted to do. But Smith was denied by FIT and Parsons, struggling to find his way into the industry. He formed an LLC that made “LaQuan Smith 3D leggings” and became known as the “leggings” guy.
Smith modeled his leggings himself, passed them around, and celebrities started to wear them, that’s when things ‘took off.’ His distinctive work sparked interest among fashion icons and risk takers including Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian, all of whom were early supporters.
Since its formal debut in 2013, the brand has gained acclaim for its endless archive of distinctive garments and details. Smith has cultivated an equally dynamic private order clientele which spans the globe from Lagos to London.
The Puma x LaQuan Smith collection pieces retail from $60-$120. It is available now exclusively at select Foot Locker stores and on FootLocker.com, and on Puma.com.
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Photo Credit: Bonya_06 / Shutterstock.com