Puma AG announced Aki Narula as the first Indian designer to work with the brand, assigned to design, create and develop a new ready-to-wear women’s collection.
The collaboration
Rajiv Mehta, Managing Director for India, announced the partnership. The appointment placed Narula alongside the designers Puma had previously collaborated with, including Sergio Rossi and Alexander McQueen.
The collection was to cover women’s footwear, apparel and accessories, with a media preview scheduled for November 2009 and the exclusive Spring/Summer collection following in February 2010.
The pricing position
The collection was priced in a mid to premium range, aimed broadly rather than at a narrow luxury buyer. Narula framed that as the point of the exercise:
Women will now have access to premium fashion rather than only seeing them in shows and events.
That is a real distinction. Designer collaborations frequently produce pieces that function as publicity rather than product, priced beyond the audience that saw the campaign. Pricing to be bought rather than admired is a different proposition.
What Puma wanted from it
Rajiv Mehta positioned the collaboration as a route into new territory:
Collaborating with Aki will further expand PUMA’s ability to move into a new space, expanding our reach to become the most desirable Sport-lifestyle Company in the world.
The fusion of sport and fashion has long been one of the brand’s defining strengths, and designer collaborations are the most direct way of pushing that further toward the fashion side.
Frequently asked questions
What did the collection include?
Women’s footwear, apparel and accessories.
When was it released?
A media preview in November 2009, with the Spring/Summer collection following in February 2010.
This report dates from 2009.
