If you want to get technical, this isn’t Rihanna’s first go-round with the Puma brand.
First partnering with the brand in 2014 as a brand ambassador and creative director, the entertainment mogul began releasing collections under the Fenty x Puma moniker in 2016. While she eventually departed in 2018 to become a major entrepreneur with her own brands, it was announced in March 2023 by the brand’s CEO Arne Freundt that the two were teaming up once again to revive their incredibly impressive successful partnership.
The superstar gave an exclusive to Senior Editor Nikara Johns for the Footwear News September 2023 issue to discuss the vision for her then-upcoming soccer-inspired collection, which was a fresh take on the classic Puma Avanti. “Football is a universal language that brings people together from all over the world, all walks of life, and I wanted to pay homage to that,” she told Johns, with Bob Philion, president and CEO of Puma North America, adding: “She moves culture, sets trends and she certainly can move our business. Fenty is stronger now than it was when she was with us before.”
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Now, a little over one year later, the two are back with another collection that channels her “soccer mom” era. For this latest release of the The Fenty x Puma Avanti sneakers, Rihanna hosted a press conference in Los Angeles to unveil her latest creation, choosing young influencers Jazlyn “Jazzy” Guerra, Bowie Layne Barcena, twins Alexis and Ava McClure, Jabria McCullum to serve as journalists.
In a video captured of the interview, she revealed that it’s her childhood that inspired her to work with Puma (and that her favorite snack is french fries as well).
“Fenty x Puma is actually very connected to my home culture because soccer is a big deal in our culture in Barbados. I’ve always looked up to the Puma brand because I always wanted to own a pair of sneakers…it was one of the first sneakers I bought as a child,” she told one kid reporter.
“It’s like coming home,” she added.
“I don’t think I have a favorite team,” she explained when asked by another young journo. “When my brother and I were younger, we used to love watching Ronaldinho—we thought Brazil was our team. For me, incorporating fashion and sport—you get to reimagine something that is traditional—something that you’ve seen done the same way. There’s so many ways you can reimagine and get creative, and that is the thing I challenge myself with when I am designing with Puma.”
The “ANTI” artist also added that “when you have fun, the experience becomes a memory,” and that “everyone should be able to rock whatever they want, whatever they want to…that’s the Rihanna way.”
The Fenty x Puma Avanti is now available to shop via Puma.com.
