From Regina George to Aaron Samuels, Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma collection has got it covered. Unsurprisingly, ‘bad girl Ri Ri’ was quite badly behaved as a teen, being sent home on numerous occasions for breaking the strict dress code of her college. She strove to stand out from the dull khaki colours that comprised her uniform with her piercings and unique hair-styles, something she remains famous for today.
On 6th March, during Paris fashion week, she showcased her own school look-book. Her Fenty x Puma collection was modelled inside the book-lined venue of Richelieu-Louvois Library (the National Library of France). She designed the setting around a fictional ‘Fenty’ University, with all models appearing from behind lockers and strutting along school-desks (books and lampshades included).
“I wanted to take Puma to a new place with something unpredictable and unexpected.” – Rihanna
This spring collection marked a departure from the black, grey and white colours that defined her first ever collection for Puma. Just over a year later, this monochrome theme was (almost) completely transformed by a focus on much brighter and bolder colours. However, the collection did (of course) keep Rihanna’s favourite fashion trends: faux fur and velvet textures. Commenting on her collection, Rihanna said, “I wanted to take Puma to a new place with something unpredictable and unexpected”.
Rihanna certainly achieved this with this unique Spring collection. Her aim was to create looks for every group found in a typical American high school, from the goths to the mean girls. Perhaps the most memorable looks were the more preppy ones, with tartan tennis skirts and small textbooks flooding the runway. However, we can’t forget the oversized velvet hoodies and tracksuits that created a sports-team look, paired with either ‘Fenty University’ rucksacks or hockey sticks, really emphasizing her focus on school style. The show ended with Rihanna strutting down the catwalk in an oversized lime green fur coat, matching the edgy but fur-filled looks that the collection was full of.
Rihanna’s newest shoe with Puma is much more feminine than the velvet ‘Creepers’ she introduced just over a year ago. She again manages to make a classic trainer look her very own, this time with a built-in silk bow and higher heel. This ‘Puma Rihanna Bow Sneaker’ comes in Spring must-have colours: baby pink and deep olive green. If this isn’t good enough for buyers, there is also a matching slider shoe. These stand out more than the trainers, with the fold over bow being just a slight shade darker than the shoe’s base. This adds a slight edge to shoes that are typically just used for lounge or beach-wear.
Both beautiful and unique shoes are due to be pre-released in early March and will undoubtedly bring in big sales for Puma. Her creepers contributed to Puma sales increasing by a noticeable 3.7% in the first few months of 2016, so we will just have to wait and see how these do…
Charlotte Hegley
Image Credit: Aaron Burden via Unsplash
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