PUMA SELECT store
opened last week Friday on the corner of Melle and Juta streets in Braamfontein.
“Following on the
success of the PUMA SELECT Store in Cape Town, a global first for the brand, it
was logical to explore opportunities in Johannesburg, and what better place
than our old haunt of Braamfontein,” said PUMA South Africa’s Marketing
Director Brett Bellinger.
The store, which
will operate for a year, showcases PUMA’s premium product and collaborations
with influential creatives, streetwear labels and fashion houses including Parisian
design duo BWGH (Brooklyn We Go Hard), New York illustrator Sophia Chang,
London interior design team House of Hackney, and Tokyo’s quirky king of
avant-garde sneakers Mihara Yashuhiro.
The first PUMA
SELECT store, designed by 3D industrial designer Ben Wilson from The Wilson
Brothers (www.wilsonbrothers.co.uk) in collaboration with Adam Brinkworth, of
interior and architectural design agency Brinkworth (www.brinkworth.co.uk), generated a buzz among designers and fashionistas visiting Cape Town
to soak up the World Design Capital projects.
The pair’s love of
English workshops and the art of creating are behind the overall concept of the
store, with local manufacturing company Designamite assisting with
construction. A feature is the simple peg system used to display product; re-engineered
using modern technology, the peg system creates a crafted, yet industrial space
that can be altered at a moment’s notice.
“Spaces must be flexible
and adjust to the product and activity in the store. This is key in today’s
retail environment,” explains Wilson.
The space is crafted
to display PUMA’s premium
streetwear, which fuses performance with culture and fashion drawing
inspiration from PUMA’s rich history and innovation as a leading sports brand.
“The store concept addresses premium right now,” says
Brinkworth. “It’s about honesty to materials and the craft, and letting the
product speak for itself.”
PUMA’s Bellinger continues
to explain that through activations like the pop-up PUMA Social Club, a cult venue
hosting a wide range of leading South African musicians and DJs in Braamfontein
during 2012 and 2013, PUMA developed a large fan base in the area. During this
time they also launched a PUMA Store and now the time is right to bring PUMA’s
top-end streetwear to the neighbourhood.
“Braamfontein has
always been a good fit for PUMA and we hope that with the PUMA SELECT Store,
and some of the events and activities we will host in the area, we again find
favour with the PUMA fans.”
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