Puma Celebrates Soccer Fashion

Puma collaborates with fashion genius Neil Barrett and develops a 
unique and comprehensive collection inspired by the brand's sports lifestyle 
appeal.

Pele made it well known. Rolando elevated it to world popularity. 
Beckham made it the sporting world's new cool while Puma made it a 
lifestyle.

Soccer has gone full circle from being once the lesser-known sport to 
today's most watched event. Much like any phenomenon, the fame of 
soccer may be attributed to some pillars of the sport, whether in infamy or 
in glory. There's Maradona, the bad boy of the soccer world 
epitomizing all that is unsavory - play hard and party harder. And then there's 
the other side of the Popularity Pole - David Beckham, sporting world's 
heart throb, fashion plate and golden boy. 

The ubiquitous black and white ball, found in every little corner from 
Nigeria to Portugal to Israel to the Philippines, represents not just a 
sport but a whole lifestyle ---- a new sense of style that goes beyond 
the green fields and both ends of a goalie net. Soccer is more than 
just a jersey, it's a fashion statement. 

With the growth and success of soccer as a sport, the game has reached 
another level of play. Now, it's not just about a team or a specific 
player but a more interactive and dynamic relationship between the sports 
fan and the game itself. 

Puma is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences 
from sport, lifestyle and fashion. Puma's unique industry perspective 
delivers the unexpected in sport lifestyle footwear, apparel and 
accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. 
Established in Herzogenaurah, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes more than just 
apparel but a fashion philosophy to 80 countries.

Realizing the apparent interdependency and mutual respect between the 
fan and the athlete, Puma created a lifestyle range that accommodated 
both the needs of loyal fans and more discriminating consumers looking 
for casual sportswear with a twist. The "fanwear" is strongly logo based 
while the lifestyle range blends PUMA's sports lifestyle positioning 
under the direction of Neil Barrett.

Known in the fashion industry as the force behind Prada, Neil Barret's 
professional history is thoroughly Italian, including five years as 
Senior Menswear Designer at Gucci, four years as Design Director of Prada 
Menswear and his own brand name collection produced by among others, 
the Prada Group. 

Neil Barrett has worked closely with PUMA's design team to combine the 
brand's technical sport expertise with his fashion sensibility for a 
full spectrum of products that spans performance sport, lifestyle and 
fashion. The inspiration for the new collection came from the protective 
armour worn by Roman gladiators blended with Barrett's signature 
"layered" garments. 

Functional fabrics, mixing microfiber and cotton, as well as supportive 
detailing guarantee a competitive yet comfortable edge. Puma Ultimate 
Sports Performance fabric technologies are integrated across the range 
reacting to both outer and inner forces maximizing player and garment 
performance alike.

Distressed washes and treatments, texture with embellished applications 
enhanced by using the same material as an appliqué with raw edges make 
this collection a real fashion must have.

The collection includes t-shirts, sleeveless shirts, hoodies, cargo 
pants, blouson jackets and accessories. In the Philippines, this 
season's exclusive Puma fashion collection are available at all Puma concept 
shops in Glorietta, Ali Mall and Festival Mall, plus all Athlete's Foot 
stores and selected Planet Sports outlets.

Source: Annie Ringor/Leah Caringal

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