Sunday 3 August 2014

MEDIA RELEASE: PUMA Select Store Opens In Braamfontein, Johannesburg


































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.”

FROM THE DESK OF: Christine Pearson | Splash PR | +27 21 447 1208 | christine@splashpr.co.za

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