Yesterday, we brought you details regarding Solange Knowles‘ partnership with PUMA and the forthcoming “Girls of Blaze” Disc Collection. Today, PUMA has released a new interview with Solange, in which she details her work with the brand, the inspiration behind the collection and current sneaker trends. The PUMA “Girls of Blaze” Disc Collection releases this Friday, February 7th exclusively at Opening Ceremony, with other select PUMA retailers set to receive the set on February 22nd. Check out the full interview with Solange below, and stay tuned to Nice Kicks for any and all future information on this special PUMA release.
PUMA: How does it feel to be a Creative Consultant for PUMA’s Women’s Lifestyle range?
Solange: I am able to express my love for not only design but the conception of creative ideas, and the execution of them by curating amazingly talented teams. I’ve had so much fun producing special content, ad campaigns, events, and working alongside the awesome PUMA team with some of my favorite emerging artists, photographers, graphic designers, and more to create visual experiences that really celebrate with both mine and PUMA’s vision and philosophies.
Over the summer, I paired four incredible designers (Gerlan, William Okpo, Hisham Baroocha ) to interpret the classic — and one of my personal faves — PUMA Disc, each in their own distinctive aesthetic to present “Girls of Blaze” inspired by the sights and sounds of Brazil. I couldn’t be more excited about the result. The sh*t is wild, and I hope you will be just as in love as I am. This has been a dream job, and the ride has just begun!
PUMA: What sort of flavor and/or style are you bringing to this PUMA collection? How were you influenced by these up-and-coming designers?
Solange: Well my love for colors, prints and textiles play a role in almost everything I do creatively, but it was also about realizing the versatility throughout the three different designers and expressing that for different personal styles. I like to think that Hisham’s design is really for the bold and wild at heart, while Gerlan’s designs are definitely playful, a bit quirky with a more sporty edge, while the Okpo sisters’ use of texture really leans on a more bohemian vibe. All of these designers I’ve been friends with and collaborated with in one way or another, and I really consider them the new faces of insanely talented emerging creatives. Being able to celebrate that on a scale as big and iconic as this project with PUMA has felt incredible!
