You won’t find a more exciting designer in fashion right now than Los Angeles-based Rhuigi Villaseñor. His namesake brand, Rhude, ranks among the most championed in global fashion. His works are brash and bold, calming and cool, and worn by everyone from LeBron James to Virgil Abloh.
Rhuigi is not only in-demand in relation to his own brand, but he’s also garnering similar attention as a collaborator. Having worked with Mountain Dew on a capsule collection during NBA All-Star Weekend, Rhude has now partnered with PUMA for a special edition Cell Endura.
Although currently based in Southern California, Villaseñor grew up thousands of miles away in the Philippines. His Filipino upbringing helped shape a mentally that re-enforces “design as a tool to unify people.” Through this PUMA Cell Endura collaboration — for which Rhude shot a lookbook on location in the Philippines — he’s hoping to inspire his creative counterparts to both give back and use their talents to solve problems outside the confines of their own lives.
The shoe itself highlights a unifying off-white primary which reflects a traditional dying technique Rhuigi picked up from his mother before moving to the States. For visual effect, lookbook images show the sneakers hanging from a clothesline basking in the sun’s glow. Leather and mesh reinforce the neutral tones while “FOREVER” and “FAST” mark the top bumper of each shoe alongside Cell branding the heel.
The Rhude x PUMA Cell Endura “Sundry” lands on March 2 at select PUMA retailers and online at Puma for $150 USD.
